Missing
by LERDM
Summary: Lestrade's daughter, Katherine, worked for Mycroft Holmes as an intelligence agent, obviously, Lestrade doesn't know this. 2 years ago she was captured and never found... until now. As Sherlock unravels pieces of her past, and as Katherine is forced back together with a man she used to care for, who will come out on top? Mycroft x OC x Moriarty. Set just before the Blind Banker
1. Chapter 1

Katherine had been fine this morning, she woke up from the California King sized bed alone. This didn't much surprise her, James was always up early for 'work', and she liked to sleep in. She rolled out of bed and grabbed a silk kimono-like robe, she tied the strings and stood in front of the floor to ceiling windows in the bedroom, before her was the skyline of downtown London. She loved this flat, not only was it by far the poshest place she had ever lived, but it was also completely custom built to her preferences.

Her calm thoughts while looking at the skyline were broken when the text tone of her phone beeped. She walked back over to the bedside table and looked at the text.

"Morning love :) Dinner tonight at 7? ~JM"

Katherine smiled and typed "Sounds good, where are we going? ~KL"

James responded right away "Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester, dress fancy ;) ~JM"

Katherine rolled her eyes, of course, he picked that restaurant. She wasn't really surprised, he had a flair for the dramatic, but she supposed she should be thankful for that, its why she had this view. She looked out the window again and smiled before going to the master bathroom to have a shower. When she was done she took a moment to examine herself in the mirror.

She had gained weight in the last few years, which was good, after all that time in a dark hole in the middle of Siberia she had been so thin that she could barely move, the first few months after she had been rescued by James she hadn't really gained any weight and she had been concerned that she would never be able to go back to what she was before. She turned and looked over her shoulder, a few scars from where she had been shot, and long scars that crisscrossed her back from where she had been nearly beaten to death in Siberia. She had a large burn scar on her left hip from where she got too close to an explosion one time.

She didn't care about the scars, to her they were a show of her strength. James hated them, to him it showed that he couldn't keep her safe, but most of them were given to her before they had met. Of course that had been a whole other life, back when she worked for the British Government, aka Mycroft.

She didn't tend to dwell on that time.

She got dressed into tight black pants and light blue blouse, she went out into the kitchen and made herself a cup of morning tea, but just as she was about to take a sip of it her phone beeped.

"Seb's gonna come around the flat around noon, he has some questions about guns. That okay? ~JM"

Katherine replied "Sounds good. Haven't seen Seb in a while, did Uganda go well? ~KL"

"Apparently, I'll see you tonight :) ~JM"

Katherine laughed, "I look forward to it :) ~KL" she replied.

She took her cup of tea, that was now not as hot as she would have liked it, and she put it in the microwave for a few seconds. She then sat down on a comfy bar stool and took a small sip of the drink.

Immediately she knew something was wrong, within two seconds she lost all feeling in her legs and the rest of her body soon followed, she felt her nose begin to bleed before her vision became blurry, she felt herself falling off the bar stool and as she landed on the ground she hit her head and fell into unconsciousness.

* * *

About 2 hours later...

Sebastian knocked on the door to Jim and Kat's flat, there was no answer, he waited a moment before ringing the doorbell again. Still, nothing. Now he was becoming concerned, he had a key which he quickly pulled out from his pocket and pushed into the lock, he quickly turned it and ran inside to find a strange scene.

Katherine was laying on her side, her eyes were closed, she had a small cut on her head and her nose had dried blood on it. Sebastian immediately sprinted to her side and checked her breathing and pulse, he sighed in relief as he felt both. He whipped out his phone and called Jim, he picked up on the first ring.

"Yes?" He answered.

"Jim, something is wrong with Kat." Sebastian barely finished his sentence before Jim started assaulting him with questions.

"What happened? What's wrong? Can she speak?" Were the most clearly spoken questions.

"I don't know what happened or what's wrong I just got here and found her like this. She's completely unconscious, what do you want me to do?" Seb replied.

"Is she stable?"

"Seems like it, but honestly, I'm no doctor."

Jim sighed on the other line, "I'm on my way right now, don't do or touch anything until I get there, and call the doctor, Benson, not Smith." Jim hung up.

Around 10 minutes later the door to the flat burst open and in came James, his pace got slower and slower as he approached Katherine until he stopped about five feet away from her limp body.

"What do you see?" Sebastian asked quietly.

"She was drinking tea, had only taken one sip." Jim took another step forward and cocked his head, "This happened around two hours ago, she was paralyzed, she couldn't catch herself when she fell off the stool, she hit her head which probably knocked her out. Her nose started bleeding after. She was poisoned, something in the tea, it must be." James finished.

As soon as he stopped talking a doctor came rushing through the door of the flat, it was neither Benson nor Smith, but someone who James had never seen before.

"Who are you?!" James all but growled.

"My apologies, but unfortunately Dr. Benson passed away last night, and Dr. Smith is out of the country, it would take at least 13 hours to get him here. I swear I am just as qualified, and you can trust me, I swear." The young doctor told him quickly.

Jim looked to Sebastian, who nodded slightly, "What's your name?"

"Dr. Jason Mone sir." He replied.

James gestured for him to come in and examine Katherine, he asked James if he could move her and James said yes. He rolled her onto her back and opened her mouth and shone a flashlight down her throat. He pressed her stomach looking for signs of internal bleeding, then finally he looked at the wound on her head. He did this silently and efficiently, paying attention to detail, James decided that he liked this doctor better than the other two already.

"She has signs of poisoning, the head wound appears to be nothing, but I would like to do a scan just to be safe. I'll need to run three blood tests, one general one to see if there is anything common found in her bloodstream, and the other two to see if there are any narcotics-related chemicals, and the other to see if there are any natural toxins. Is there anything here that she could have used or eaten or drank to ingest the poison?"

"The teacup is all she ate or drank from all day," James told him.

The doctor nodded and took a vial from his case, he poured some of the liquid into the vial, "I'll have this thoroughly tested." The doctor went to leave to bring up the equipment but stopped just short of the door, "Just so I can access the medical records, what is her full name?"

James and Sebastian looked at each other again, and again Sebastian nodded yes. "Her full given name is Katherine Anne Lestrade."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

* * *

It had been two hours since they had found Katherine and four hours since she had ingested the poison. They were beginning to run out of time, and James knew it, he was beginning to suspect who was behind this, but he still was not certain. One thing he was certain of was that he did not have the background in chemistry that would allow him to be of much help. As this very thought rolled through his head, he had another idea, one that he didn't much care for, but as he paced back and forth in his and Kat's bedroom, watching her die, he knew he had no choice.

"Sebastian!" Jim called.

"What's up?" He said, walking into the room that was now cluttered with medical equipment.

"I need you to do something for me, listen carefully..."

* * *

At 221B Baker Street half an hour later...

(JOHN)

John was sitting in his chair reading a book, and Sherlock was prancing around the kitchen fiddling with his violin. Then someone rang the bell of the flat and John got up to answer it, he walked down the stairs and opened the door, then suddenly a woman, who had presumably been leaning on the door, fell to his feet. Her eyes were closed, and she looked quite pale, the unusual thing was that she was wearing a mask.

"Sherlock! Come here quickly!" John yelled up the stairs. He heard the violin music stop and the door to the flat open, then Sherlock jaunting down the stairs.

"Oh." Was all he had to say, he crouched down beside her and took her pulse. "John, bring her upstairs," he said before going back up to the flat.

John rolled his eyes and huffed, at least she was small.

A few struggle-filled minutes later, John and Sherlock had lain her down on the sofa. Sherlock was checking to see if there was anything in the pockets of her pants, in one pocket there was a cell phone which was locked, and in the other pocket was a slip of paper.

It read "If you let her die I'll kill John Watson ~Moriarty".

John looked at Sherlock curiously, "What does that say?" When Sherlock didn't respond, John grabbed the note from him and read it. "Jesus," he muttered.

Sherlock in the meantime was simply staring at the woman, he walked up to her and removed the mask from her face, the reaction was so sudden that even John noticed Sherlock knew her. Sherlock quickly grabbed his coat and yelled to John, "Call Lestrade and tell him to come here alone as fast as he can, tell him is an emergency!" He said as he practically ran out the door.

John sighed and glanced at the girls face, he had to admit that she did look vaguely familiar, but he really wasn't sure. He did as he was told and called Greg.

"Greg, hey, Sherlock needs you to get to the flat as soon as you can, he said to tell you to come alone."

"Yeah, what's Sherlock done now?"

"Someone just left this woman on our doorstep, but she had a letter in her pocket that said 'If you let her die I'll kill John Watson', it was from that Moriarty fellow."

"I'm on my way."

"Thanks Greg, bye."

They hung up.

* * *

In the meantime...

(SHERLOCK)

Sherlock hailed a cab and quickly jumped in, he rattled off Mycroft's Address and the taxi drove quite promptly, so Sherlock left him a little extra cash.

He knocked rapidly on the door before Mycroft eventually opened it, he appeared slightly groggy, he had been napping. "What is it Sherlock?" he asked, annoyed.

"What do you know about Katherine Lestrade?" Sherlock asked loudly.

Mycroft shushed him and looked around to see if anyone was near before grabbing his arm and pulling him inside.

"Why are you interested in Katherine Lestrade, she was a war veteran that went MIA three years ago," Mycroft told him.

"You're lying! Who is she really?"

Mycroft sighed and rubbed his forehead before answering "She _was_ an intelligence agent, she worked for me and reported directly to me, we worked together frequently. One day she was sent on a two-month covert mission to gather intelligence on an international assassin when she disappeared. We never found out who took her or where. We sent a notice to Detective Inspector Lestrade to inform him that she had gone missing, it wasn't exactly a lie." he finished.

"She's not missing anymore, John and I found her unconscious at the door of our flat with a note from Moriarty," Sherlock told him.

"What did the letter say?"

"It said 'If you let her die I will kill John Watson'."

And just like that Sherlock and Mycroft were in a cab headed back to 221B Baker Street.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

* * *

Sherlock and Mycroft arrived at the flat at the same time as Lestrade did.

"Sherlock, what's this all about?" He asked as he got out of his car.

"Go upstairs, there's someone you'll want to see," Sherlock responded. Greg looked at him strangely but followed Sherlock and Mycroft up the stairs.

John was reading a manila file and looked pale.

"What is that?" Sherlock asked.

"Someone left it on the doorstep a few minutes before you came, it's her medical records," John said, looking up. He was standing in the way of Lestrade, "Um, so this'll be a shock..." he said to Greg, "Maybe we should give you some space." John said, directed to Sherlock and Mycroft. He stepped aside, allowing Lestrade and Mycroft to see her face.

Mycroft noticed new scars around her neck and collarbone, but Lestrade was still focusing on her face.

"Is this- is this some sort of sick joke!?" He asked.

"I know that this must be hard for you, but-" John started.

"No, you two have gone too far this time. How'd you do it? Some facial prosthesis? You obviously hired an actor, my daughter-Katherine didn't have all these scars." Lestrade looked around and laughed, "Wow, you really got me, for a second I almost thought it was her." The shock-induced smile fell from his face, "Why-why would you do this?" his eyes began to well as he looked to Sherlock.

"Lestrade, it _is_ her, it _is_ Katherine," Sherlock told him, allowing his sincerity to show on his face.

Greg just stared at her "She's alive, she's alive." he repeated a few times before looking at Sherlock with questioning eyes. "Why-why is she here? What's wrong with her? Why's your brother here?" Greg gestured to Mycroft, who was now reading her records, his face blank, "And what does this Moriarty want with her?" he took a few steps closer to her, "And why does she have so many scars?"

Mycroft passed the file to Sherlock who began to read, when he closed the folder he closed his eyes and sighed, "Oh."

"What's that?" Greg asked, and made a move to grab the folder from Sherlock, but Mycroft grabbed it first.

"Not only is it extremely classified, but as the father of this young woman, it would do you well to not view the contents of it," Mycroft explained.

"What is going on?" Lestrade looked around at the three of them, "Why aren't any of you answering my questions?! What is wrong with her!?"

"Poisoned" Sherlock responded simply, "I am uncertain whether or not Moriarty poisoned her or if it was someone else." Sherlock took Katherine's file from Mycroft and handed it to Lestrade, "You deserve to know, but" he paused, "Ignore the pictures, for your own sake." he added.

Lestrade opened the file, the first page was all things he knew, her vaccination records, when she got stitches when she was twelve, when she broke her arm when she was 14. The next page was more interesting, this was from when she was in the 'military'. Second-degree burn from being close to an IED, 24 stitches from shrapnel from a grenade, 15 stitches and a minor surgery from a bullet graze. There were pictures to accompany these, the burn was particularly nasty, he had to look away quickly. The next page was what hit him the hardest.

Lestrade, Katherine

Found: October 17, 2008, Location: Black hole prison - Siberia

Weight (when found): 41kg (90lbs)

Malnourished, dehydrated, severe lacerations covering the back, untreated stab wound in her right thigh, deep laceration under the left collarbone (infected), a semi-healed laceration on her neck, one semi-healed gunshot wound, moderate lacerations on extremities (infected), necrosis of tissue around wrists (infected).

There were pictures of her back, you almost couldn't see any skin because there were so many cuts, every bone stuck out painfully, her legs were stick thin, she wasn't much more than a skeleton.

Lestrade quickly read through the page and flipped it before those images were forever burned into his mind, there was one last page.

Lestrade, Katherine

April 24, 2009

Three gunshot wounds, left thigh, right shoulder, mid back. Coma lasting two days, two major surgeries, estimated recovery time: three months.

There were no pictures on this page, something Greg was grateful for.

Sherlock looked to Mycroft as Greg was reading, "Who did this to her?" He asked quietly

"We don't know, we had our best intelligence officers on the case, but we never found anything," Mycroft replied.

Sherlock frowned and grabbed his coat. He was about to leave when Greg asked, "Wait, where are you going?"

"To Bart's, I need to do some chemical analysis," Sherlock said before leaving.

In the meantime, John had made some tea and gave it to Greg.

"Thanks" he muttered.

Together the three of them sat in silence for at least two hours, John was keeping tabs on Katherine's vitals, her breathing and her heart rate were gradually slowing, she didn't have much time left, maybe 4 hours. John was slightly confused as to why Mycroft was still there.

Suddenly, Sherlock burst in through the door, "I know what it is!" he shouted, but the excitement didn't meet his eyes.

Then Katherine's phone began to ring, the tone was Slim Shady by Eminem, and the contact imply read: Moriarty. Sherlock picked up the phone and put it on speaker.

"So, I hear you've found what the poison is, enlighten me won't you?" Moriarty asked from his end.

"It's Batrachotoxin, commonly found on poison dart frogs, my guess is that you somehow infused it into her tea, but she didn't steep it for very long, so not much got into her cup, then she re-heated the drink, and the microwaves again subdued the effects." Everyone looked at Sherlock with a sort of amazement.

They could hear Moriarty clapping in the background, "Well done Sherlock, I hate to burst your bubble, but I did not poison the lovely Katherine Lestrade. So, how soon will you have an antidote?"

Sherlock froze, Greg and John looked at him expectantly, while Mycroft just shook his head. "Well, there is no known cure, not even any known preventative measures." Sherlock made eye contact with Lestrade, "I-I'm afraid that there is absolutely nothing I can do."

"I-" Moriarty started, but suddenly stopped. They heard a loud bang on the other end, to Sherlock's ears it sounded like he had punched a table, "Damn" they could hear, it was barely above a whisper. Then, Moriarty hung up.

"What-what do you mean there's no cure?" Lestrade asked.

"I'm so sorry George," Sherlock replied. Greg didn't seem to notice, but John muttered "Jesus" under his breath.

"How much time does she have left?" Greg asked.

Sherlock turned to John, as he was the doctor. John sighed, "Maybe four hours, it could be more, but it could also be less." John looked at Lestrade, "Greg, I am so sorry" Both men were close to tears, but Sherlock and Mycroft were having their own private conversation in the kitchen.

"Are you certain there is nothing to be done?" Mycroft asked.

"I'm 100% certain. There is nothing, no one even close to developing anything near a cure."

Mycroft sighed, "It's too bad, she was quite like us you know."

"Is that sentiment I detect?" Sherlock asked.

"No, perhaps admiration," Mycroft admitted, and at this Sherlock raised an eyebrow, but before he was able to question him further, he was distracted by the crying of Lestrade.

"I just found you again, Kathy, don't go now."

* * *

In the meantime...

(James)

"Sebastian, get the chopper ready," James said after he hung up on Sherlock.

"Why, what are you doing?" Sebastian asked.

"I'm doing to Appledoor to bargain with Magnussen," James replied.

Sebastian texted the pilot, "How can you be sure it was him?"

"He's the only person she's seen in the past week besides you and me." James turned sharply to Seb, "Am I safe in assuming you didn't poison Kat?"

"Of course not."

"Good, let's go."

About half an hour later the helicopter touched down on the Appledoor landing pad, James jumped out and walked towards the impressive house. He was met by Magnussen on the terrace.

"I thought I would be hearing from you soon." Charles said with a sick smirk, "Come inside." he said while holding open the door. "It's funny, you seem almost angry, I wonder why. I assumed a man like you felt nothing."

"You know why I'm here, and I have one question for you, what do I have to do to get what I need," James said, in a more serious tone than was regular.

"What you _need_?" Magnussen laughed, "She's still alive? Impressive, she's much more resilient than I suspected."

"I don't think you quite understood me the first time, what do you want?" Moriarty asked. A dangerous tone edged his voice.

"I want something on you. What makes you tick, what is your weakness?" Charles questioned.

"You already know, my being here already tells you."

"Yes, of course, but I want to hear you say it, beg me."

James swallowed, "I... I love her, please give me the antidote." he said, and for the first time in while real emotion entered his voice.

"Well well... what do you know, I was right. Since you asked so nicely," Charles reached into the back pocket of his trousers and pulled out a vial of a purple-tinted liquid, "I'll give it to you, but I want you to admit your weakness one more time, just so I can relish this moment I had you beaten and begging.

James clenched his jaw, but yet he spoke, "I love her. Please, Magnussen, give me the antidote." Magnussen laughed again and handed James the vial, he sighed in relief, "Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet," Magnussen said and smirked. As James started to leave, Magnussen added, "One last thing, give Mycroft my regards will you?"

James smirked at this, "Certainly" he replied.

* * *

One Hour Later At 221B Baker Street...

The doorbell to the flat rang again, and again, it was John that went to answer it. The last hour or so had been utter hell, Greg was an incoherent mess, holding Katherine's hand and crying and muttering.

He opened the door, and found a vial and a note, "Sherlock!" John shouted. Sherlock came sprinting, he grabbed the note from the doorstep.

Sherlock pointed at the vial, "John take that upstairs right now."

He read the letter, it went like this:

"Here is the antidote, it should take effect within minutes of being administered into the bloodstream. CAM gives his regards to Mycroft ~Moriarty"

Sherlock ran up the stairs and started directing everyone, "Lestrade get up out of the way, John set up an IV and give her that liquid!" When no one moved right away he yelled, "Quickly!"

Mycroft took the letter from Sherlock and grew paler, he whispered to Sherlock aside, "What if this makes it worse?"

"She's already dying brother, we should at least try."

During this little conversation, John had been setting up an IV bag, which they did have lying around, with both their professions it wasn't that unusual.

They waited in silence as the time passed one minute turned into two and two to five, and five to 15, around 20 minutes later Katherine's eyes started to flutter.

She groaned and rolled her shoulders, she muttered something indistinguishable. She opened her eyes a bit, her vision was slightly blurry, but she could recognize the man standing in front of her, "Greg?"

"Kathy! Kathy! Oh, thank God!" He gripped her hand tighter, "I'm here, I'm here."

"I..." Katherine started then swallowed, her throat was sore and rough. "Can you help me sit up please?" she asked quietly.

"I'll get you some water," John said walking into the kitchen while Greg helped Katherine sit up, she pulled her legs over the couch and bent over, rubbing her eyes. SHe looked up and spotted Mycroft standing by the fireplace looking at her quizzically, she returned the look. Sherlock looked between them with his own inquisitive gaze.

She broke her gaze with Mycroft and glanced around the room, "Where am I?" she asked, John offered her a glass of water.

"221B Baker Street." Sherlock answered, "What's the last thing you remember?" he asked.

Katherine took a sip of water, "I was drinking tea, I was expecting company. They must've found me," She told them, "Don't know how the hell I got here though."

Mycroft raised an eyebrow from across the room and Katherine narrowed her gaze at him.

"Katherine." He addressed her with a nod. She simply stared back. "How to you know-" Mycroft began to ask.

"Get out." She interrupted him.

"I can't until you answer my question. How do you know Moriarty?"

Katherine's breathing increased, her nostrils flared her eyebrows deepened, she was filled with rage.

"I'm sorry, you two know each other?" John asked.

"Hardly," Katherine replied, not taking her eyes off him. Sherlock and Greg watched the exchange with interest.

Mycroft looked taken aback by that answer, John looked at him with confusion before turning his attention to Katherine, "Maybe now is not the best time for an interrogation." Katherine was still staring at Mycroft, never taking her gaze off of him, even when he exited she looked at the door for a few moments.

There was a long pause before Katherine spoke, "Where's my phone?" she asked.

Sherlock took it out from his pocket and handed it to her. She stood up and rocked back and forth a bit, the sudden motion making her dizzy. She grabbed her dad's shoulder as support for the few moments it took for her world to stop spinning. "I just need to make a quick phone call." She said. She walked towards the door to the flat.

"Woah, you're not going anywhere," Greg said, blocking her way.

"I'm just going outside to call someone, you can watch me through the window if it'd make you feel better," Katherine suggested.

Greg sighed and moved out of the way.

Katherine unlocked her phone and quickly typed a number she knew by heart. Almost immediately he answered.

"James?" She asked quietly.

"Kat, thank god," James replied.

"What happened?" she asked him, glancing up to see her dad, John and Sherlock watching through the window. She turned around again so they couldn't read her lips.

"I'll explain everything later," he paused, "You're really okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine, really," she told him.

"You don't sound fine."

"It's just... some faces from the past."

"Like who?"

"My father, and... Mycroft."

There was a brief silence, "Are you alright?" He asked.

"Yeah, just a bit... shaken up I guess." She said and paused, "Will I see you tonight?"

"That depends."

"On what?"

"On how protective your father is."

Katherine chuckled, "Right."

"You should invite him to stay over, I wouldn't like you to be unprotected in London," James told her.

"Yeah, alright, but what about you and Seb?"

"We'll find a hotel, don't-"

"No, I meant I want to see you guys." Katherine interrupted.

"Well, maybe I can channel my inner teenager and sneak into your room in the middle of the night," Jim said and laughed.

Katherine smiled, "Dinner, maybe tomorrow?"

"I'm leaving for business tomorrow, sorry love. Maybe Sebastian can keep you company."

"He's not going with you?"

"No." Was his simple reply.

"Be safe."

"I will."

There was a pause, "I love you."

"I love you too."

* * *

Authors Note: Please comment/review thoughts/feelings! Hope you enjoyed! :)


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

* * *

Things were awkward at 221B, Katherine was sitting on the sofa, Sherlock was sitting in his chair, and John was sitting in his, and Greg was pacing in the middle.

"Ask," Katherine said after a moment.

"I-" Greg started, but he stopped to think before continuing, "How long have you been out of that hole in Siberia?"

"Almost two years," Katherine replied honestly.

"Why didn't you come back home?" Greg asked.

"I was running for my life, those people were still following me, among others. I killed a lot of people, made a lot of enemies, when I worked for.. the military," The pause in her speech caught Sherlock's interest, "And now that there was no one to protect me everyone came after me, before I came back I had to make sure that I wouldn't be hunted and on the run for the rest of my life." She paused, "A few months ago I achieved my goal, but I... gained the interest of some dangerous players. Fortunately for me, those people tend to use methods like threatening and extortion, less on the torture side."

"You're very nonchalant about that." Sherlock commented.

John shot him a nasty look, but Katherine laughed "Well, I understand why they did it. They aren't the ones I hold resentment against."

"No, that would be... the British Government," Sherlock said, referring to Mycroft, something Katherine and John caught but Greg didn't.

"Exactly," Katherine said with a smirk.

"Completely reasonable," Sherlock added.

"I agree," Katherine said.

"So, if the government didn't get you out then who did?" Lestrade asked.

"They made a big mistake, they caught the wrong person. There was a man, someone who was indispensable and he knew it. He knew there were people coming for him. I managed to convince them to take me along, " Katherine told them.

"What happened after?" Greg asked, still pacing.

"Well, those people rescued me, gave me medical attention, the works. I did a few things for them in exchange and I went on my merry way, I would say I was with them for about six months."

"How long have you been in London?" Greg asked.

"I've been in London for about two months now," Katherine said, Greg looked at her, hurt evident on his face. "I wasn't exactly sure how to tell you. I mean, technically I'm still dead. The military doesn't know I'm alive, the government didn't until now... And also, it never seemed like a good time."

"Like a good time?! That's what stopped you?" Greg asked.

"Well, I was actually going to tell you a few weeks ago, but then you found out your wife was cheating on you. I wasn't sure that my presence was necessary on top of all that."

Greg wrinkled his nose, "How-" He was about to ask how she knew about his wife, but he shook his head.

Katherine smiled a little and tried to stand, but she found that her head began to spin, forcing her to sit back down.

"You'll need to take it easy these next couple of days, no vigorous exercise, and lots of rest," John told her, noticing she was tired.

"You can come stay with me and-"

"Oh that's not necessary, I have quite a lovely flat downtown, and if you'd like to keep a closer eye on me you are welcome to stay there as long as you'd like, there are a few guest rooms." Greg looked unconvinced, "I just want to go home and sleep in my own bed and just relax. If I stayed with you I wouldn't be able to sleep." Katherine reasoned.

Greg sighed, "Okay, but I need to stop at my flat first."

"Cool, can we get going? I'm exhausted." Katherine asked.

"Sure, my car's out front."

"Alright, well, John, it was great meeting you," Katherine said to John, she turned to look at Sherlock, "Sherlock." she nodded.

Sherlock nodded back, "Katherine."

Greg and Katherine left 221B Baker street and headed towards Greg's flat. He quickly grabbed a duffel bag and stuffed it with clothes, he also left a note for his soon to be ex-wife.

When he came back to the car Katherine was looking around nervously, "Is everything okay?" Greg asked her.

"Yeah," She peered into the rearview mirror, "Just anxious to get home," Katherine responded.

"What's the address?" Greg asked.

"Tower 42." Greg raised an eyebrow but continued to drive.

When they arrived a man dressed in all black, "Give him your keys he'll park your car" Katherine said as she opened her door and got out, Greg followed suit and got out. She walked into the building and continued past the main lobby area, there was a receptionist type person sitting at a desk tucked away into a corner.

"Hello ma'am, heading home?" She asked.

"Yes." Katherine replied, she noticed the receptionists questioning eyes looking on Greg, "This is my father Greg, can you make a profile for him so security doesn't freak out, he'll be staying here for a few days and will need full access." Katherine said.

"Should I set it up on the lift?" The receptionist asked.

"Yes that would be great," Katherine said, the doors of the lift opened, "Oh! Before I go... How was that date?" Katherine asked her.

The receptionist blushed, "It went really good actually, he seems like a great guy."

"Good for you Lynette, I'll talk to you later," Katherine said as she and Greg got into the lift. There was a screen inside that read 'Hello Greg.'

Greg looked at it strangely, 'Place your hand here.' it said and he put his hand where it told him, then it scanned his face and said 'Profile complete'.

"So, what floor are you on?" Greg asked.

"The top one," Katherine replied.

As the lift arrived on the top floor the doors opened into an expansive combo of a living room, kitchen and dining room.

"Wow." Was all Greg had to say, as Katherine walked into the apartment he still stood in the door of the elevator. As the shock wore off he asked, "How can you afford this place?"

"Well, I've got some friends that helped to hook me up." Katherine grinned, "It's pretty awesome right?"

Greg simply nodded as Katherine lead him towards a hallway, there were three doors spread out in the hallway.

"My room is the furthest down if you need me," Katherine said pointing. "This room," she started, gesturing towards the first door, "Will be yours." She opened the door and Greg was blown away, it was huge, it had a king-sized bed and an incredible view. "There's an en-suite and a walk-in closet on the left, and the kitchen out here is fully stocked so you can help yourself."

"This is amazing Kathy, thanks for inviting me."

"Well, I know that if you had gone missing I wouldn't let you out of my sight for a moment, so I understand." She paused at the door. "I'm going to go to sleep, but feel free to do whatever," Katherine said smiling.

When she reached her room she collapsed into the bed and fell asleep immediately.

* * *

Authors Note: Please comment/review, it helps me update better and faster! Enjoy! :)


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

* * *

Katherine was having a wonderful dream, if only it had been real.

She was back in that prison, the one in Siberia, lying on the ground in agony. Suddenly there was shouting outside her cell, but she paid no mind, there was always someone trying to escape this place. However, she was surprised when the door of her cell opened, and a familiar man hurried through it.

"Myc?" Katherine choked out.

He knelt down beside her and she could see his face clearly now, it was Mycroft.

"Katherine, I'm here, I'm here." He said while grasping her hand.

Then the light flooding into the cell diminished and became tinted red, and Katherine knew the tone of her dream was shifting.

James Moriarty waltzed into the cell and said, "No, I'm here Katherine, come with me." He held out his hand for her.

Katherine turned to Mycroft as he spoke, "Katherine, come home with me."

She sat more upright on the dirt-covered floor, and looked between the both of them before locking eyes with Mycroft, she took his other hand and he helped her stand.

Katherine failed to realize that Moriarty's face had become livid, and Jim was now holding a gun to Mycroft's head.

"How could you!" James shouted at her, "He left you here to die!" At that Mycroft disappeared and Katherine fell to the ground "I saved you! I loved you!" James shook his head, "But now you're alone."

Moriarty too disappeared, and so did the rest of the light, leaving her alone in the dark. "Please!" she shouted.

* * *

Lestrade was woken in the night by screaming, he jumped out of bed and ran down the hallway to Katherine's room. She was sitting on the side of her bed, facing away from him, her head was in her hands and she was breathing deeply.

"Katherine? Are you okay?" Greg asked.

She sat up suddenly and wiped her face with her hands before turning to face Greg.

"I'm fine," she said. She stood up and walked past him out the door.

Greg took the moment to examine her room, the walls were a silver-ish blue, there were no pictures hanging on the walls, but there was something that looked like a photo album on one of the bedside tables. He picked it up and flipped through the pages, there were photos of when she was young, of her with Greg and of her with her mother. The pictures showed her as she got older until she was about 18. Then there were a few pictures of her wearing cameo gear and holding big guns, she was standing next to a couple big muscular guys.

Underneath that picture was one of Katherine resting her head on a shoulder of a different man, his arm was around her waist. Beside them was another man, he was a bit taller and more muscular. Little did Greg know that this was, in fact, a picture of James Moriarty, Katherine and Sebastian Moran.

Greg closed the book and went back out into the main area of the flat. When he entered he was surprised to see the man from the picture (Seb) sitting at the island.

"Katherine?" Greg asked cautiously.

"Oh! Dad!" Katherine said surprised, she put down the coffee that she was drinking, "I had kind of thought you had gone back to sleep, sorry for waking you up by the way." Katherine said.

"Oh, it's uh fine..." Greg trailed off looking at the man, he had dark brown hair and hazel eyes, he was quite tall and very muscular.

Katherine noticed his gaze and said "Um, this is um..." she struggled to make up a name, "Sean, he's... a friend of mine."

At this Sebastian, aka Sean chuckled slightly, Katherine sent him a look.

"So... uh are you two...?" Greg kind of asked.

Sebastian's eyes widened and he choked on his coffee, Katherine chuckled, but Greg could tell the question had made her uncomfortable.

"I'm going to take that as a no." Greg said.

"Yeah..." 'Sean' said, he pulled a file out of his bag and handed it to Katherine, "This is for you." He stood from the bar stool and looked Katherine up and down, not sexually, "You sure you're fine?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm good," Katherine replied. She watched as he left the flat, as soon as the door was closed she took a deep breath out. It's not like she didn't enjoy Sebastian's company, but he always had a way of making her admit what was going on in her head, and she didn't feel in the mood for sharing. "Are you going into work today?" she asked suddenly.

"Yeah, why?" Greg replied.

"Oh I was just wondering, I have some errands to run." Katherine responded.

Greg looked at her skeptically but nodded anyway. He quickly ate and got ready for work and left within the span of 20 minutes.

As soon as he left Katherine got ready as well and headed out towards Mycroft's home, she rang the bell and waited, she knew he would be home. It only took a few moments before the door was opened, and she took a deep breath and prayed that she was ready to face him. The door opened and showed Mycroft wearing, as always, a suit. He kind of reminded her of James in that regard; never left the home in anything other than a suit.

"Can we talk? I know you have... questions." Katherine said quietly. She examined his face, he had been surprised to see her here, and he was suspicious about why she was here.

"Please come in," Mycroft spoke equally as quiet as he stepped aside and held the door for her. He lead her to his office and pulled out a chair for her, she sat down and crossed her legs as he took the seat across from her behind his desk.

They stared at each other for a few moments before Katherine said, "Just ask."

"How do you know Moriarty?" he asked.

"Moriarty was the one who pulled me out of that hole, you know, the one you left me to die in?" Katherine said.

"Why was he so invested in whether you lived or died?"

"I don't know."

They stared at each other for a few more moments. Mycroft wasn't sure if she was telling the truth, back before she had gone missing one of the things that had originally drawn his attention to her was her perfect lying ability. He found it impossible to tell when she was lying or when she was telling the truth, and she could change her body language like she would change clothes. She was the perfect pretender, that had been why he had hired her.

Suddenly her body language shifted and she uncrossed her legs and leaned forward, "If you're just going to stare at me and waste my time, then _I'm_ just going to leave."

She made a move to stand, but Mycroft spoke quickly, "Don't leave." She looked at him with uncertainty but sat back down anyways.

"What happened to the people that took you?" Mycroft asked.

"I killed them, all of them," she told him.

"What happened?" Mycroft asked next, it was a broad question, but Katherine knew what he meant.

"I was following the target, everything was fine, but the people from my last job 'randomly' encountered me, and they recognized my face. I had underestimated their reach, it was their prison I was dumped into." Katherine told him, but her body language had shifted again, and he could tell she was angry.

"Katherine, I-"

"You know what? I'm gonna stop you right there. Since what you're about to say is not an apology I don't want to hear it." She stood up quickly and shook her head, "This was a mistake." Before she hurried out of his flat she saw a look of regret on his face, and she felt a tiny twinge of guilt, which she quickly pushed away.

Once she was a fair bit away from Mycroft's home she reached into her purse and pulled out the paper's that were a part of the file Sebastian had given her earlier. It was what Sherlock Holmes would be doing today, James wanted her to tag along with him, to see how much of a threat he was. Katherine had agreed, if he was anything like either Mycroft or James, then his presence would be bearable.

She hailed a cab and gave the address, "221B Baker Street please." In only a few minutes they pulled up in front of the flat, Katherine could tell by looking in the windows that Sherlock and John had not left yet, Katherine briefly paused before ringing the bell, wondering if her father would mind if she started tagging along with Sherlock, but she decided he probably wouldn't and rang the bell.

She heard a faint, "Come in!" from John, so she opened the unlocked door and walked up to their flat.

As she walked into their living room she said, "So, I hear you solve crimes."

* * *

Authors Note: Okay, so I've changed a few things in the previous chapters and in my description, I've decided this story will take a slightly different path than I had originally intended. Please Comment/Review, it helps me update faster and write better!


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

* * *

Authors Note: In response to one of the Guest comments, yes, Katherine does have a history with Mycroft, it won't be featured super heavily in this chapter, but the next chapter will be mostly about the two of them. Please comment/review thoughts! Enjoy! :)

* * *

Recap:

 _Katherine heard a faint, "Come in!" from John, so she opened the unlocked door and walked up to their flat._

 _As she walked into their living room she said, "So, I hear you solve crimes."_

Sherlock looked at her from his computer, he appeared amused, "Yes, on occasion" he replied.

Katherine walked around the living area of the flat as John realized that Sherlock had taken his computer, as they had a little spat, she ran her finger over the gash in their kitchen table and noticed the sword under Sherlock's chair.

When Katherine made eye contact with Sherlock she said, "You really should lock your door, you never know who'll just walk right in." She gave a pointed look to Sherlock.

"Noted." He replied, again, giving her an amused smile. She liked it when he smiled like that, it was an expression she had rarely ever seen on Mycroft's face, and when James smiled like that it meant he was angry.

John sifted through the bills, mumbling something about how he needed a job.

"John! Katherine!" Sherlock announced suddenly, "We're going to the bank!"

Later at the bank...

"Sebastian." Sherlock greeted him coolly, Katherine could tell that Sherlock did not like this man, and by analyzing him herself, she realized why. He appeared to be a stuck up prick.

"Sherlock Holmes." Sebastian greeted amiably, although both Katherine and Sherlock saw through it in seconds. "Why it must've been eight years since I last clapped eyes on you!"

Sebastian's eyes wandered first to John, and Sherlock said, "This is my friend John Watson."

"Friend?" Sebastian repeated in shock.

"Colleague." John corrected, and Katherine shot him a curious glance.

Then Sebastian turned his eyes to Katherine, Katherine could tell that Sebastian found her very attractive and she had a plan, then Sherlock said, "Oh, this is Katherine Lestrade, she's-"

"His fiancee." Katherine interrupted, grasping Sherlock's hand and smiling. Sherlock was slightly startled by this, but it was worth the look on Sebastian's face. John had originally thought that he had misheard, but was now opening and closing his mouth in shock and confusion.

"Oh!" Sebastian clapped, when he saw that no one was laughing, when he saw it wasn't a joke, he sobered up. As Sebastian lead him to his office he began to chat with Katherine, "So, what do you do for a living?" he asked her.

"I help Sherlock with his cases, we've had loads of fun." She replied. Sherlock observed her curiously. If he hadn't been previously told the truth about her past he would have completely believed her. How was she able to lie to him? No one else could, he saw it in their body language. With John, it was how he tried to convince him by adding the extra detail, or with Lestrade, he crinkled his eyes a little too much.

Suddenly he had an epiphany, that's why Mycroft had hired her so young, she was the perfect pretender, she could convince anyone anything.

"So, how'd you and Sherlock meet?" Sebastian asked next, Sherlock was interested to see how she answered this.

Katherine laughed a little, it appeared genuine to Sherlock, "Well," she started, "I was actually a client. I needed his help with my sister, she had disappeared, but Sherlock found her safe and sound," she paused again, "If I'm being honest, he had me after our first conversation."

"Oh?" Sebastian was intrigued, "How's that?"

"Well, haven't you heard, brainy is the new sexy." Katherine replied with a sexual tone to her voice that would make any normal man uncomfortable, however, it had no effect on Sherlock.

Sebastian chuckled nervously and looked down at his watch, which Sherlock examined for a moment.

They entered the office and John and Sherlock took the two seats, while Katherine leaned on Sherlock's chair, her hand resting on his shoulder. John was very uncomfortable with the situation, but since Sherlock didn't really have a reaction to learning that he was apparently engaged, John tried to not look like it bothered him, it wasn't working.

"So, do you need anything? Coffee? Water?" Sebastian asked.

"No," John replied, and Katherine shook her head, Sherlock did not respond, verbal or otherwise.

Sebastian turned to his secretary who was waiting at the door, "Alright, we're all set here." she left the office and shut the door.

"So, you're doing well, been abroad recently," Sherlock commented casually.

"Well, some," Sebastian admitted with a shrug.

"Flying all the way around the world twice in a month?" Sherlock questioned further.

John looked confused, but Katherine just smiled. Sebastian laughed a bit, "Right. You're doing that thing." Sebastian now turned to John, "We were at uni together. This guy here had a trick he used to do, he could look at you and tell you your whole life story."

"Yes, I've seen him do it," John said, curious about Sherlock's time at university. John didn't notice that Sherlock suddenly became tense, and an emotion that would be closest associated with sadness passed across Sherlock's face for a moment, before returning to his normal stone wall. Katherine gripped his shoulder a little tighter than before.

"Put the wind up everybody. We hated him. You'd come down to breakfast in the Formal Hall and this freak would know you'd been shagging the previous night." Sebastian used this time to assert his 'dominance' over Sherlock, and John now understood why Katherine was showing this man such disdain.

"I simply observed," Sherlock stated.

"Go on, enlighten me. Two trips a month, flying all the way around the world, you're quite right. How could you tell?" Sebastian goaded, Sherlock smirked and was about to explain to him why he was a simpleton, however, he was cut off as soon as he opened his mouth. "You're gonna tell me there was, um, a stain on my tie from some special kind of ketchup you can only buy in Manhattan." He said smugly.

At this John smiled, almost fondly, he knew the feeling. "No, I-" Sherlock began but was cut off by Sebastian.

"Maybe it was the mud on my shoes!" Sebastian exclaimed as if he had come to an epiphany.

"I was just chatting with your secretary outside. _She_ told me." Sherlock said, smirking. Katherine laughed and John was now very very confused.

"Oh, yes," Sebastian said, now feeling embarrassed. "Well, I'm glad you could make it over, we've had a break in." He lead them out of his office and towards the trading floor. "Someone broke in late last night," he told them

"What did they steal?" John asked curiously.

"Nothing," Sebastian said, at this Sherlock's intrigue peaked, "Just left a little message."

Sebastian gestured towards the painting, then he took them to the security room where they saw the footage from that night, after doing some other investigating Sherlock, John and Katherine were about to leave the bank when Sebastian caught them.

"There's a hole in our security. Find it and we'll pay you – five figures." Sebastian held out a cheque to them, "This is an advance. Tell me how he got in, there's a bigger one on its way."

"I don't _need_ an incentive, Sebastian." Sherlock all but spat, he turned away and grabbed Katherine's hand, taking her with him.

"He's, uh, he's kidding you, obviously," John said, taking the cheque and running after Katherine and Sherlock.

"Why'd you do that?" Sherlock asked.

"Because I hate people like that, people who think they're better than us because their minds are slower," Katherine replied, her word choice did not slip past Sherlock.

"Better than 'us'", he paused to look her in the eye, "You sound like Mycroft."

Katherine smiled slightly deviously, "You know it's funny you say that. You don't. Remind me of him that is." She looked at him curiously, "You... feel too much, you _care_."

They stared at each other for a second, a curious look on Sherlock's face, and a triumphant look on Katherine's. Then John showed up beside them outside the building and looked at the two of them confused before going to hail a cab. Katherine followed John, leaving Sherlock to wonder, what exactly was her relationship with Mycroft?


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

* * *

Sherlock was standing at Mycroft's doorstep. The door opened and revealed a tired looking Mycroft, yet he was wearing a suit, and briefly, Sherlock wondered if he slept in suits. Mycroft sighed when he saw who it was, but he opened the door regardless.

Sherlock walked in and sat down in one of the armchairs, he crossed his legs and his arms. "So, Mycroft, enlighten me, what was your relationship with Katherine Lestrade?" he asked.

Mycroft raised an eyebrow and sat in the chair across from Sherlock. "What are you insinuating brother mine?" Mycroft asked.

"Did you have a relationship with Katherine Lestrade of a romantic or sexual nature?" Sherlock asked again.

Mycroft laughed hollowly, "Why would you assume that? If it was something Ms. Lestrade said, do remember that she is a professional liar."

Sherlock narrowed his eyes at Mycroft's answers, none of them were an outright no. He knew that he couldn't get any reliable answers from Katherine since he wouldn't be able to trust anything she said.

"I think you're lying," Sherlock said.

Mycroft sighed, "And why would that be Sherlock?"

"Because she hates you," Sherlock said and saw a minuscule twitch in a muscle in Mycroft's face. "What was it you told me once? The opposite of love isn't hate but apathy?"

Mycroft rolled his eyes, "Good God Sherlock, don't you have anything better to do with your time?"

"Hmm... No." Sherlock then abruptly stood and left. Sherlock now knew that Mycroft was lying, but what to do now... There was maybe one person who might know something, but it was a long shot.

* * *

Two Hours Later...

Sherlock found himself in a place he had not been to for a while, his childhood home. He rang the bell and waited for a moment before his mother opened the door.

"Sherlock!" She hugged him, Sherlock hesitated, but after a moment he returned the hug.

After being ushered inside Sherlock showed his mother a picture of Katherine and asked her, "Have you ever seen this woman with Mycroft before?"

"Katherine? Yes, I have. She's been over here a few times before." Mrs. Holmes replied.

"Mycroft brought her here?!" Sherlock asked, a little shocked, but also perturbed. Mycroft brought an assassin to their home to meet their parents! "When?"

"For Easter about three years ago, and for his birthday a little after that." Mrs. Holmes replied.

"Did you get the impression that they were together in a romantic or sexual way?" Sherlock asked bluntly.

"Oh!" Mrs. Holmes was taken aback by the question, "Well, I had certainly thought so, your father did too. But both of them insisted that they only worked together. It's too bad really, she seemed like such a lovely woman."

"Is there anywhere or anyone else that might know for certain?" Sherlock asked, not satisfied with that answer, "And wait- what did you mean by 'she _seemed_ like such a lovely woman', you used the past tense, why?"

"Mike told us that she went MIA. We asked the last time he was over you see, she really was just a sweet girl..." She trailed off, "Anyways, for your other question, I believe Mycroft has always kept very detailed journals. If you were to perhaps find them..." she trailed off, a mischievous look in her eye that Sherlock often had as well.

Sherlock jumped out of his chair and kissed his mother on the cheek, "Mum, you're a genius!" He grabbed his coat and ran out the door, as he did so he shouted, "Tell father I said hello!"

Later at Mycroft's house...

Suddenly Sherlock was very happy that Mycroft had given him a spare key, should he ever need to come here if there was an emergency and Mycroft wasn't home.

He combed the bookshelves in his office and the small library and found the supposed journals nowhere. He was walking up and down the hallways when he realized that Mycroft probably writes in these journals before he goes to sleep. He found Mycroft's bedroom and looked around, bingo. There was a bookshelf with a row of similarly designed books, those must be them. He flipped through the pages of a few of them to see the dates, and he quickly found the one he was looking for.

* * *

*Flashback*

Katherine was standing in front of the floor to ceiling mirror, putting in her earrings, Mycroft came out from the bathroom that was attached to the bedroom, wearing a suit as always. Katherine more or less lived with him, they had their own bedrooms of course, but they were joined by a singular large bathroom. He looked at her, she was wearing a dark red dress that hugged her curves and ended just above her knees. She was wearing black high heels and dark red lipstick that matched her dress, she looked gorgeous and elegant, exactly what was needed for tonight.

It was a work function, and Mycroft wanted to introduce Katherine to some of the other members of the _actual_ British government. Some of the 'real' British government would be in attendance as well, however, it was mostly the people who ran the show behind the scenes, the people who told Mycroft their problems and asked him to fix them. Of course, Katherine was the one who mostly fixed them, but Mycroft facilitated it. Katherine liked to joke that Mycroft was her pimp, Mycroft did not care for that comparison.

"Katherine, I'm going to my parents country home over Easter, and I was hoping that you would accompany me."

Katherine looked at him with slight confusion, but then gave him a small smile, "I've got nothing else to do, so sure."

Mycroft checked his watch, "The car's here, we should go. Are you ready?"

"I always am," Katherine said, taking on a different body language that was ultra-confident, ultra-charismatic. "Let's go."

When they arrived all eyes were on her, she was one of the only women there and was by far the youngest person in attendance, after all, she was only 21.

Together Mycroft and Katherine made the rounds, taking on a different persona every time in order to please as many people as she could. By the end of the night, all her and Mycroft had done was talk and smile, they were both exhausted.

As they rode back to Mycroft's house, Katherine kept nearly falling asleep, jerking herself awake at the last minute, Mycroft found it a little amusing.

When they got home they both went to their separate rooms, Mycroft had just taken off his suit jacket when he heard Katherine calling from her room, "Mycroft, I need some help!" It wasn't urgent, but he came quickly anyways.

"What is it?" Mycroft asked, standing in the open doorway.

"I can't reach the zipper of my dress," Katherine said, laughing and pouting slightly.

Mycroft gave her a pointed look, one that said 'this is why you called me over here?' Mycroft crossed his arms and didn't move.

Katherine laughed and said, "You know usually I don't have to beg men to take my clothes off."

Mycroft huffed and walked up behind her, he undid the zipper a little and he turned to leave, but then Katherine spoke, "Mycroft, wait a moment." She went into the bathroom and put on a robe over her undergarments, she came back out and turned to him. "Are you alright?"

Mycroft was taken aback, "I- what?"

"You just seem... tense," She said while untying her hair.

"I'm fine, just tired," Mycroft told her.

"Liar," She immediately responded.

"And how's that?" Mycroft asked.

She walked up to him and put her and on his shoulder near the base of his neck and slid it downwards to his arm where she continued until she reached his wrist, where her fingers lingered for a moment. "Your muscles are all tense," She paused and moved her hand back up to his neck, "Especially here," She lightly squeezed, "It's always like that."

"For everyone?"

"No, just you." Katherine smiled.

"You felt my pulse," Mycroft commented.

"I would have thought that it would have been slightly lowered, but it was higher," She told him.

"It was probably the alcohol."

"I don't think so."

They locked eyes for a moment, her hand was still resting on his shoulder. She forward and rocked on her toes and gently kissed him. Mycroft was taken by surprise, and so for the first moment, he didn't respond, but then he kissed her back. It was... something Mycroft hadn't really experienced before, Katherine wasn't like other people, _she_ wasn't a goldfish.

* * *

Author's Note: Thanks for all the support you guys! Please keep commenting/reviewing!


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

* * *

Sherlock slammed the book shut and momentarily closed his eyes, trying to get rid of the mental image of Mycroft and Katherine having sex.

After a moment his curiosity got the best of him and he reopened the journal and flipped towards when Katherine would have visited their home for Easter.

* * *

*Flashback*

"I do appreciate you coming with me over the weekend, I fear I would not get much done while simultaneously combating my mother," Mycroft said to Katherine as they walked up the walkway to the home of Mr. and Mrs. Holmes.

"It was no problem," Katherine replied. Of course, Mycroft knew that it had been a slight problem, as it had caused a small argument with her father. "I am... interested to meet your parents," she added after a moment.

Mycroft raised an eyebrow, "Do elaborate."

"Well, I don't know, I guess I just want to know what kind of people it takes to be able to handle you and your brother _all the time_ ," Katherine said, and laughed at Mycroft's expression.

Mycroft scoffed at the sentiment filled statement, "Well if you keep up that attitude, my parents will absolutely adore you."

Her demeanour changed slightly, "You know, doting parents isn't exactly a problem" she spoke with an amused tone, but Mycroft felt bad. He knew her mother had been... negligent, and her father didn't even know about her existence until her mother's death when she was six. In fact, the only family member he had ever heard her speak remotely fondly of was her uncle.

When they reached the door Mycroft rang the bell and immediately it opened revealing a friendly looking woman, Mrs. Holmes.

"Mike, dear!" She hugged him and kissed his cheek.

Under his breath, Mycroft muttered "Mycroft."

Katherine was smiling slightly awkwardly while holding her wrist and rolling on the balls of her feet.

Mrs. Holmes suddenly turned to Katherine, "Oh Mike! It's about time you brought a pretty girl home to meet us!" She pulled Katherine in for a hug.

"We are not a couple mother, we work together," Mycroft explained.

"Oh." Mrs, Holmes said, slightly dejectedly. She had hoped that Mycroft had finally found a woman to settle down with. "Well, please come in, we're happy to have you join us."

"Well thank you for having me," Katherine replied politely.

Mother Holmes lead them inside where Mr. Holmes greeted them.

"Mycroft! It's good to see you again, you don't come by nearly enough." His eyes turned to Katherine, "And who do we have here?!" He asked excitedly.

"Oh don't get your knickers in a bunch, they're just friends from work!" Mrs. Holmes called from the kitchen.

"Hmm..." Mr. Holmes hummed, Mycroft could tell he wasn't convinced.

"Hey, I'm gonna go grab the computers from the car," Katherine told Mycroft as she headed back out the door.

Mr. Holmes patted Mycroft on the shoulder, "That's a keeper."

Mycroft rolled his eyes, Katherine came back inside with a computer bag on either shoulder, and some cables hanging around her neck. "Where should I set this up?"

Mycroft grabbed one of the computer bags and lead her to the dining room, they set up their laptops, but then Katherine's phone rang.

She smiled sheepishly at Mycroft before glancing at the number, the smile immediately fell off her face, 'Tap this' she mouthed to Mycroft as she answered.

"Charles, to what do I owe this pleasure." Her voice taking on an overzealous sweetness. Mycroft froze when he heard her say, Charles. Charles Augustus Magnussen has been after Mycroft for years, but it had never played out in his favour. Mycroft quickly used his computer to tap into the conversation, there was no surprise when he traced Magnussen's end to Appledore. Katherine wandered outside with the call, but everything they were saying was being typed on the screen.

"Is it true then?" Charles asked.

"You're going to have to be much more specific, I'm in the business of false truths," Katherine replied.

"False truths? I would call them lies."

"What's the difference?" Katherine sighed, "Not that I don't appreciate our little chats, but what do you want?"

"Nothing, yet." Charles responded cryptically, "I just wanted to remind you that you. owe. me." he hung up.

Mycroft looked out the window and studied Katherine's face very carefully, she briefly touched her shoulder where she had been shot last year. She hadn't really explained to him how it had happened, only saying it was an assassin, she had never mentioned that Magnussen was involved. Mycroft tried to not let it get to him, because that was most likely exactly what Magnussen wanted, to create distrust between them.

Katherine walked back to the house smiling like nothing had happened, "Is something the matter, dear?" Mrs. Holmes asked from the kitchen.

"Oh, no, everything's fine, it's just the office," Katherine replied sweetly, quickly replacing her frown with a smile. When Mrs. Holmes turned her back to them Katherine jerked her head towards the door and gestured to Mycroft to follow her. However, Katherine didn't know that Mr. Holmes had been watching the two of them with curiosity.

You see, Mr. Holmes was a fairly ordinary man in comparison to his family. He was quite intelligent, certainly well above average, but he was no genius like his wife or children. He did have one thing going for him though, he knew things that the rest of his family was oblivious to, like the way Mycroft and Katherine could have a whole conversation in a second of eye contact, or in the way he hasn't said anything mean to her the whole time she's been here. For Mycroft, this was highly unusual.

Mycroft was vaguely aware that his father was watching them, but at the moment he didn't really care, his attention was focused on Katherine right now.

"Why would you not tell me?" Mycroft asked her.

"Oh, don't take it so personally." Katherine said sharply, "I didn't tell you because it didn't matter, Magnussen had a shot and he missed, and now like the deranged man he is, he thinks I owe him something."

"Why didn't you just tell me that?" Mycroft asked in a softer tone.

"Because it wasn't important," she paused and smiled a bit, "And it really pissed me off," She added, that made Mycroft smile a little.

"You two! Come inside supper's ready!" Mrs. Holmes yelled.

Katherine smiled as they walked back into the house, "I'm sorry" she said quietly.

"Don't be." Was Mycroft's response.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

* * *

Authors Note: Alright, continuing the flashbacks in this chapter, tell me what you think! Enjoy! :)

* * *

Mycroft was sitting at his desk sifting through official papers when his phone rang, he recognized the phone number to be Katherine's, so he answered right away.

"Hello?" He asked.

"Myc, I-" she spoke, her voice was very hoarse, and she began to cough, "I don't know where I am."

"Katherine, are you okay?" Mycroft asked. He was concerned.

"No, I-, I-" Katherine started coughing again, "There was an explosion, and I-, and I don't know where I am." Every time she spoke her voice became quieter.

"Katherine, I am coming for you. Are you injured?" Mycroft asked while getting Anthea, his assistant, to trace the location of the call.

"Yes, I-, I'm really tired..." she started and trailed off.

"Katherine, I need you keep talking to me okay?" Mycroft said.

"Re-remember when, when I-" she started coughing again, "I-I was in the hospital, after, after I killed those men in-in your house?"

Mycroft furrowed his eyebrows, as he jumped into the car waiting outside his office, he gave the driver a piece of paper with directions on them. "Yes, yes of course I remember. That was... one of the worst nights of my life, I thought you were dead."

"You-you thought that I was as-asleep, I heard you, I-I heard what you said," Katherine said weakly.

Mycroft froze, he had really thought she was asleep, that was really the only way he would have ever admitted to her that he did have emotions.

"I just-" she started coughing again, more violently than before, "I wanted you to know that I know, and-and-" more violent coughing could be heard, "I-, I do too."

After a few moments of silence, "Katherine?" Mycroft asked through the phone, he felt his eyes begin to sting a bit, "Katherine, please hold on."

Within a few seconds, the driver pulled up to the location where her phone was. There was a wreak of a car on the side of the road, and a trail of blood that lead to an underpass, when he looked over, he saw Katherine leaned up against a pillar, her phone had fallen from her hand.

Mycroft sprinted to her and knelt down beside her, noticing her breathing was very irregular and very shallow. She had a very large burn on the right side of her body, and there were pieces of glass and shrapnel sticking out of her torso, there was one very large piece of metal sticking out from her ribs, it had certainly punctured her lung.

Just as Mycroft finished examining her, the private ambulance that he had had Anthea call came screaming down the street, the siren must've roused Katherine because her eyes fluttered open, she couldn't really move much, but she brushed her hand over his. His eyes whipped towards her, "Myc" she croaked out.

"You'll be okay Katherine," Mycroft told her, she gave him a small pained smile before she fell again into unconsciousness.

"Sir, we're going to need you to move." One of the paramedics told him.

Mycroft stood and brushed off his suit, "Of course."

* * *

That was the end of that day's entry, and it left Sherlock in a bit of a shock. He has only one memory of Mycroft being emotional, and that was when he nearly overdosed on drugs, but here he was throwing emotions at Katherine Lestrade. Sherlock realized that he was acting really strange, being jealous of his older brother's girlfriend, or maybe... ex-girlfriend.

There was something that was mentioned in the entry that was intriguing, Katherine had apparently said something about 'the time she killed those men' in Mycroft's house. Sherlock flipped through the journal until he found that entry, and he began to read...

* * *

Mycroft was in a situation that he has never been in before, he was being held hostage at gunpoint. Of course, he has had a gun pointed at him before, but the hostage part was new.

The men were dressed head to toe in black, their faces even covered, they had taken his phone and were flipping through his contacts, not that they would find anything useful, everyone on his contacts had a code name.

The apparent leader of the group took the phone and showed it to Mycroft, "Who is this?" he asked. On the screen was a contact on his phone, it was a picture of Katherine winking, and the name slot read 'This is a stupid codename'. Mycroft wanted to roll his eyes, _of course_ , she had done that. When Mycroft didn't respond the man began to monologue.

"Well, she must be someone important, you call her more than twice every day!" He laughed, "Now this is interesting, let's see, maybe I'll make a deduction about the two of you. She's not your daughter, you don't seem like a family man, and she's a bit too old." Katherine would have taken offence to that statement, as she was currently only 24.

"Not your sister, you only have that pain-in-the-arse brother Sherlock." That told Mycroft that he was here about something Sherlock did, which probably meant that either they only had a small idea of who Mycroft was, or they didn't know at all. "No, she's obviously very dear to you, maybe we should call her, tell her to come here and collect you," the leader continued, at this Mycroft paled. There were 10 men in the room right now, but that didn't mean that there weren't more outside.

However, it would appear that Mycroft wasn't having good luck that day, because there seemed to be a hum of general consensus, so the leader dialled her number and put her on speaker.

"Hey, what's up?" she answered, and at that moment Mycroft really wished she hadn't made it so apparent that they were friends on any level because now the leader's suspicions were confirmed.

"I'm afraid he's rather preoccupied at the moment." the leader spoke. There were a few moments of silence on her end, but then they heard her laughing, "What?! What's so funny?!" the leader shouted.

"Oh, nothing, nothing sorry. You were saying?" Katherine replied, but everyone could tell by her voice she wasn't taking this very seriously.

"We have your friend here, and we'll kill him if you don't come to his home right now."

Mycroft wondered whether or not to tell her not to come here, but before he could speak up, she started to talk again.

"Well you know, the funny thing about that request is that I'm already here," Katherine paused, and everyone looked around nervously, "No you idiots, I'm not in the room with you." She started laughing again, "You really don't know who I am do you?" she asked amused.

"Should we?" He asked.

"Yes." Katherine hung up.

They waited in anticipation, then suddenly they heard two thumps followed by some strangled screams followed by silence.

"Go." The leader gestured to a few of his men, and four of them left the room to go investigate.

After another few moments, there were some screams, most notably, "What the f-" he was cut off, presumably before he was killed.

There was a faint knocking at the door, the leader gestured to one of the men to open it, they saw briefly a knife fly through the small opening and embed itself right into the man's neck, Katherine grabbed his collar and used him to block the bullets that quickly flew towards her. She pulled her knife out of the man's neck and pulled a matching one from the pocket of her black and gray cameo cargo pants, she twirled them around and waited.

The leader stepped forwards, "Put your guns away, I like this girls style."

His men looked at him with slight bewilderment, but they followed his orders and put away their guns. They pulled out knives from their utility belts and took their stances.

Two men ran at her at the same time, she ducked and lunged towards the first man, cutting deep into his thigh, he fell to the floor immediately and on his way down she slit his throat. The other man was now behind her, and she quickly turned and embedded her knife in the back of his neck.

Mycroft tried not to watch, blood didn't agree with him, but when he did look up he noticed that Katherine was very fast, she made them look like they were moving in slow motion, he was surprised when she made eye contact with him, she looked terrifying, her face was covered in blood splatters and her clothes were stained dark red, her eye's told him what she was asking, 'Are you okay?' He was fine, although, he was tied up at the moment, literally.

He couldn't stand up or do much of anything really, these men may not be the best fighters, but they certainly were excellent knot tiers. Mycroft had been trying to untie himself since the man who was holding a gun at his head started to fight Katherine, although she made fairly short work of him as well, and now there were only two men left beside the leader, who was casually leaning against the wall, watching Katherine's every move.

She charged towards one of the remaining men, she jabbed his shoulder and as he leaned slightly forward in reaction she pushed her other knife into the crook of his neck, then she spun around, simultaneously ripping the knife from his neck and throwing it right into the heart of the last man.

Katherine smirked at the leader now, "You're good." he said, looking at her closely.

"Thank you, but it was exaggerated because your men were shit," Katherine responded smiling.

The man held out his hands to her, he dropped both the knives he was holding, "Let's go at it old-school."

Katherine narrowed her eyes at him, but after a moment she dropped her knives too. They stared at each other for a moment, and to Mycroft's surprise, Katherine made the first move. She dropped to the ground and swung her leg out, trying to trip him, but he moved out of the way too quickly. He kicked her in the side which caused her to fall, he was quick to jump on top of her, as he straddled her hips he punched her in the face once and in the ribs a few times before Katherine managed to wiggle her way out from under him, but Mycroft could tell he had done some damage to her ribs, she was now standing in a slightly defensive position, she had underestimated him, and it made her pissed.

She was standing a fair distance from him at the moment, a few of his dead men were in between them, including someone who had one of her knives sticking out of his back. She noticed this and a plan started to form.

"You're pretty good too," she said, wiping the blood from her bleeding lip.

"I'm not pretty good, I'm the best." he bragged, at the end of his sentence, Katherine launched herself into a cartwheel, she planted her first hand down beside the man with her knife in his back, and her other hand gripped the handle of the knife, as she rotated back to her feet she released the knife and it embedded itself right into his skull.

Katherine took a deep breath out and bent over clutching her ribs. She stood up straight and walked over to Mycroft, she knelt down beside him and started to untie his feet, "I already alerted security, they're really taking their time today hey?" she said.

"Yes," Mycroft replied simply.

"What's wrong?" Katherine asked.

"You didn't have to do all this, you should've just called security and waited," Mycroft said coolly. In all honesty, Mycroft was just concerned that she would have been seriously injured helping him, but of course, he would never admit to her that he was concerned about her.

Katherine smiled a knowing smile at him, "I'm fine." She finished untying his legs and started to work on his hands.

"Thank you," Mycroft said quietly.

"Anytime," Katherine replied, making eye contact. Her lips parted slightly, he leaned in a little closer to her. But then Katherine heard a very familiar clicking noise, the sound of the safety on a gun being turned off.

She quickly wrapped her arms around his neck and covered his body with hers, Mycroft was very confused for a few moments, until he heard the ear-ringing gunshots, and felt Katherine's body jerk, and heard her gasp in his ear.

One of the men who still had a knife in his chest had used up the only energy he had left to empty his round into Katherine's back.

Katherine slumped against Mycroft, and he felt her blood seep onto him. Mycroft was in shock, he didn't notice several things that would have made the situation much more bearable, like the fact that there wasn't nearly enough blood for all of the shots to have hit her. Or the fact that none of the bullets made it past her to hit him even though the man was using a high calibre pistol, or the fact that she was still breathing.

"Katherine." He choked out, "Please don't."

Security took the time now to barge in the room guns raised, it must've been a strange sight, the almighty Katherine Lestrade, bloody and unconscious, practically laying on top of a half tied Mycroft Holmes. If it hadn't been immediately apparent that Katherine was seriously injured, Anthea, who had come in as soon as she had heard, would've laughed. But she didn't laugh, she lead their private paramedics into the room to help her. Mycroft just sat there as they pulled her up onto the stretcher and rolled her away.

"Mr. Holmes? Are you injured?" Anthea asked.

"No, I'm not." He responded numbly.

Anthea looked at him with concern. She spent a lot of time with this man, and she noticed that something was not quite right, and by following his gaze out into the hallway where they had just taken Katherine.

"I think Ms. Lestrade will be okay," Anthea said.

Mycroft glared at her, "She's just been shot four times, I doubt she will be ' _okay',_ " he said.

Anthea looked at him strangely, "She was wearing bulletproof gear, she only got grazed by one bullet, the impact of the others must've knocked her unconscious, she's not going to die."

Mycroft stared at her blankly for a second before quickly jumping to his feet and walking briskly to his garage which held mostly unused cars since he often had a driver take him to and from the office, but he jumped into the one that Katherine would always drive, and headed towards the hospital that he knew they would take her to.

When he got there he went straight to the front desk to ask about her, he's certain that he looked very strange with blood stains all over his suit.

"I'm looking for someone, they just got taken here privately," Mycroft told the nurse.

"Oh yes, a young woman, Katherine?" she asked.

"Yes, what room number?" Mycroft asked impatiently.

"I'm sorry, the doctor's said no visitors yet." the nurse told him, "They're doing a minor procedure in the room right now, but it shouldn't be more than twenty minutes, you can wait there," she pointed to some chairs, "I'll bring you up when they're done."

Mycroft sat and waited, he was hunched over his head resting in his hands, he felt like he was sitting there for an eternity, but after about 15 minutes the nurse from before walked up to him and said "They're done, the doctor said she's still asleep, but you're welcome to come up and sit with her."

"Yes, thank you," Mycroft replied and followed her to the room.

The nurse opened the door for him and closed it after he entered, allowing them some privacy.

Mycroft approached her bed and stood beside it, looking over her, her ribs were wrapped, and her left side had some bandages on them with a few specs of blood on them, she had three stitches on her cheek.

He sat in the chair next to her bed, and even though he knew that she couldn't hear him, he spoke anyway.

"I thought that you were dead." he said grabbing her hand, "I didn't notice things I should have noticed, my head wasn't thinking about the details. I was focused on one thing only. It was... awful." Mycroft felt his eyes start to water.

"You're making me... emotional." Mycroft said, "But you do... make me feel things. As much as I'd like to deny it, I do care for you Katherine, greatly." Mycroft paused, "I've never said it, but I do love you. I hope you know that." He gripped her hand a little tighter and sunk back into his chair, knowing that he wasn't going to be going anywhere that night.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

* * *

Sherlock shut Mycroft's diary, he was confused. Mycroft loved her, maybe he still does, but he just left her to die? Katherine certainly thought so, and why would she lie about that? But then again, Sherlock wasn't able to tell when Katherine was lying, so he had no way of knowing for certain. He briefly looked through the rest of the diaries, there was no mention of Katherine in the more recent journals, so he was stuck with a dead end.

He returned to 221B Baker Street where John was typing on his computer.

"What're you doing?" Sherlock asked him.

"Blog," John replied.

Sherlock was about to walk past him into the kitchen when he paused, "You aren't... writing anything about Katherine are you?"

"No, that seems like-"

"A bad idea, I agree." Sherlock nodded in approval.

John was about to resume typing again before he stopped, "What is going on with Katherine exactly?"

"She was an assassin that worked for Mycroft," Sherlock said bluntly.

"Really?"

"Yes, and it seems that they were... involved," Sherlock explained with disdain.

"You can't mean..."

"I do."

"No."

"Yes."

"Mycroft?"

"Yes."

"And Katherine?"

"Yes."

John paused, "Really?"

"Yes."

"But isn't he..." John paused looking for the word.

"Cold, unfeeling, yes, all of the above. But yet..." Sherlock trailed off, "There's something about her that's just..."

Sherlock thought back to the bank where he couldn't tell if she was lying or not, but she had made a mistake. When they were about to leave she had spoken to him, that had been _her_ , the real Katherine. He analyzed it over and over again in his head, she wanted him to know something, but what? What was it?

Sherlock growled in frustration, "John, we-" He started, but then looked up and noticed that John had apparently left the flat. There was a small note on his chair saying to text him if he needs anything.

"Hmph."

* * *

*Flashback*

Catherine was sitting cross-legged on the floor of her mother's house. There was arguing going on in the kitchen, but there always was, and Catherine paid no mind to it. Not too long after, her mother came into the living room and lit a joint, one of the milder drugs she often used.

Catherine's uncle came into the room after, he looked very cross, but turned to Catherine and said, "Would you like to get some ice cream?"

"Yes please!" She cried happily.

She stood and walked to her uncle, "Before we go, tell me what's wrong with your mother."

Catherine turned to her mother, "She's high and sad. She's sad you yelled at her."

"No Catherine, look deeper than that."

Catherine looked at her mother again, "She wishes she was dead, she's sad she's alive."

Catherine's mother had silent tears running down her face, "Go, please just go."

Catherine's uncle knelt in front of her mother, "Caroline, when you wonder what happened, just remember that I warned you."

He lead Catherine out of the house and to his car, Catherine got in the back.

"What are you doing?" Her uncle asked.

"Getting in the car of course."

"Come sit in the front."

Catherine smiled, her mother never let her sit in the front.

"Now, recite to me all of the irregular French verbs." It was something Catherine thought was a fun game, little did she know that her uncle was training her to speak French. She was nearly fluent, but she sometimes forgot the verb conjugation, she didn't think it was odd that a six-year-old could speak nearly four languages, English, Danish, German and nearly french. She lived in Denmark, her mother spoke only English and German, but her uncle spoke Danish and French, and he was her most frequent caretaker.

True to his word, Catherine's uncle took her to get ice cream, as they were sitting in the parlour he had her analyze people on the street.

Then they drove back to her mother's house, or what was left of it. The whole thing was almost burnt to the ground. There were firefighters, police officers and paramedics. One of the officers came up to Catherine and her uncle, "Do you live here?" He asked.

"I don't, but my niece and her mother do." He replied.

"Well, I'm afraid that..." His voice droned out of Catherine's hearing, she was too busy watching what remained of a body be pulled from the house. She wanted to be sad, she knew she should be, but... she felt nothing.

* * *

Sherlock was about to text John to meet him at Van Coons flat, but then John walked through the door with some bags.

"Good, you're back, let's go."

"Where are we going exactly?" John asked incredulously.

"Van Coon's flat it's the next piece of the puzzle."

"Well, what are we going to do about Katherine?" John asked, still slightly startled by what he had learned.

"Nothing, yet."

Later...

Sherlock and John had just arrived at Van Coon's flat when they saw Katherine's motorcycle outside.

"Is that Katherine?" John asked, "What's she doing here?"

"I texted her, thought we might need backup," Sherlock responded.

They got out of the cab and walked towards Katherine, "So, why are we here?" She asked.

"This is Van Coon's flat," Sherlock responded.

"Ah, I thought I smelled death in the air."

John looked at Katherine with wide eyes, "You think Van Coon is dead?"

"Oh I'm quite certain, it's what I would have done," Katherine said.

John's mouth gaped and Sherlock raised an eyebrow, but no further comment was made.

"The neighbour upstairs has recently moved in, we can use them to get into his flat," Sherlock said.

"How do you know that?" John asked.

"The label's new, new label, new name, new tenant."

"Maybe they could have just replaced it?" John suggested.

"No one ever does that," Sherlock and Katherine responded simultaneously.

John scoffed his arms and crossed, he was _really_ pleased that there were now two of them with him.

Sherlock pressed the neighbour's button and said, "Hi! Um, I live in the flat just below you. I-I don't think we've met."

"No, well, uh, I've just moved in." The woman responded.

Both Sherlock and Katherine turned to John as if to say 'I told you so' before Sherlock spoke again.

"Actually, I've just locked my keys in my flat," Sherlock said.

"D'you want me to buzz you in?"

"Yeah, and can I use your balcony?" Sherlock asked.

Katherine didn't pay much attention to what immediately followed, as her phone started to vibrate.

She rolled her eyes and said to John, "I'll be right back, I've got to take this." John nodded, and Katherine walked off towards the road a bit before she answered. "Hello?" She asked with exasperation.

"Hello Katherine, please get in the car," Magnussen replied as a black car pulled up in front of her on the street.

Katherine sighed but got in regardless, "Hello poppet," Magnussen greeted creepily.

"Hi." She replied shortly.

"Now is that any way to greet a friend?" Magnussen asked and handed her a manila file.

"What's this?" Katherine asked, flipping through the pages, seeing details about a man named Gregory Veritas.

"I want you to kill him of course, he is... well, it doesn't matter," Magnussen told her. He looked at her carefully, "You know you used to love doing me these little favours."

"Yes, before I grew a spine, something I see you're still working on," Katherine replied sharply.

"Ha!" Magnussen laughed. He then began to sniff the air like a dog, "You changed your perfume, Black Opium, rather suiting, but I preferred English Rose."

Katherine clenched her jaw, he was alluding to his knowledge of both her past relationship with Mycroft and her current one with Moriarty. "I'll do it tonight."

"Excellent, goodbye my dear," Magnussen said as she exited the vehicle.

Katherine shoved the file into her purse and noticed that the police were now here. She was about to enter the building when Sherlock nearly ran into her storming out of it.

"Where have you been?" Sherlock asked her.

"Meeting with an unsavoury character in a suspicious black vehicle, you?"

"Van Coon's dead, you were right."

"Murdered I presume?"

"Yes, but by who?!" Sherlock cried in frustration.

John then came outside and joined them, "Where'd you disappear to?" He asked Katherine.

She had her mouth open to respond, but then Sherlock, "No time for that, we have to talk to Sebastian."

Sherlock ran to the road and hailed a cab, John and Sherlock got in. Katherine grabbed the door and said, "Sorry boys this is where I leave you, I've got something important tonight. Catch you later!" She shut the door and the cab drove off.

Sherlock picked up his phone and pressed his speed-dial number three, who answered on the first ring.

"Hello Sherlock," Mycroft answered.

"You should have surveillance put on Katherine Lestrade this evening." John looked at Sherlock with surprise.

"And why would I do that?" Mycroft asked.

"Because she had a free day, then suddenly she gets a mysterious phone call, and now she is suddenly busy. Sounds like something you may want to look into."

Mycroft sighed, "You better be right."

"I always am."

* * *

Authors Note: Okay, so the spelling of Katherine's name in the flashback was not a mistake, it's on purpose and you'll find out why later. Hoped you enjoyed, please comment/review thoughts/feelings, :)


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

* * *

Katherine had run to her flat to get her gun, which was designed to fit into a briefcase. She then found the man's flat and set up shop on the rooftop across the street, she quickly set up the gun and twisted the scope tightly. And then she waited, she had waited for almost two hours until he finally pulled up in his car, she quickly loaded her magazine and turned the safety off, she laid down and looked through the scope, that was until a leg stepped in front of her. She looked up and saw Mycroft standing in front of her.

"What the hell Mycroft?! I was just about to-"

"About to do what exactly?" Greg asked from behind her. She jumped to her feet and turned around, she saw her father, Greg.

Katherine ignored him for the moment and turned back to Mycroft, "What are you playing at here Mycroft? You can't just decide to care all of the sudden."

"Hardly all of the sudden, I did think you were dead, as did everyone," Mycroft said.

"Hoped, you mean."

Mycroft and Katherine had a stare down for a second before Greg cleared his throat, and they both turned to him, but then Katherine's phone rang. She looked at the number and glared at Mycroft, "Sorry, I have to take this." she said angrily.

"What?!" she asked sharply.

Mycroft tried to hear who was on the other line, but the noise of traffic from the street below them was too loud. "Now Katherine, is it done?"

Katherine clenched her jaw and Greg looked at her with concern, "No, I was... interrupted." Katherine replied.

"Well, I just wanted to remind you that if this job doesn't get done, I just might have to inform a few people about what exactly you've been up to these past few years. I wonder how your father would react? Although he isn't the one you really care about is he? No, I wonder what Mycroft would think, knowing whose been sharing your bed these days. Can you picture the disgust? I certainly can."

"Don't play with he Magnussen, I could-" Katherine replied, but was cut off. Mycroft paled at the mention of Magnussen's name. He glanced at Greg who seemed confused and angry, and Mycroft was beginning to regret bringing him along.

"You could what? Kill me? I don't think so Ms. _Lestrade_. You'd be going against both Moriarty and Mr. Holmes." Magnussen paused, "Say, has he figured it out yet?"

Mycroft didn't really know what the conversation was between them, but he knew it was about him. Katherine looked right at him, her eyes were shining, she bit her lip and closed her eyes. "No, he hasn't," she said with defeat in her voice.

"As I thought, just remember Katherine, you owe me." he hung up. Katherine gripped her phone tightly.

Then she screamed in frustration and threw the phone at one of the cement walls, it broke completely. "You idiot!" she yelled at Mycroft, "You have no idea what you've done!"

"Would someone like to me what is going on here?!" Greg interrupted their staredown.

Katherine turned to him, "I didn't want to tell you. If I had my way," she sent a pointed look to Mycroft, "You shouldn't have ever known."

"Ever known what?" Greg asked. He was getting more confused by the second.

"You were so proud, you told everyone who would listen that I was in the military." She paused and looked briefly away, "That was a lie." Greg's eyes widened, he started to understand. "I was a spy, an assassin. I worked for Mycroft," She gestured to him, "And now I am desperately trying to stay alive. People like me don't usually live to retirement age."

Greg was in shock, he stood completely still and stared straight ahead.

Mycroft turned to Katherine, "I can help you get out of whatever you've gotten yourself into, I-"

"It's not about you!" Katherine shouted, "This is about me! You had your chance, and you... you lost me," When she started her voice had been a shout, and at the end, it was a whisper.

Greg then stepped forwards, "Kathy..."

Katherine put a hand on his shoulder, "I'm sorry."

She then left without another word, taking her gun with her.

Greg turned to Mycroft, "So you've known this whole time, what was happening to her?"

"No, I thought she was dead."

"No, I mean she worked for _you,_ I told you I'd watch out for Sherlock and you just let my daughter get nearly tortured to death?"

"It was... regrettable, and I did look for her, extensively. We never found anything, hence why we thought she was dead."

"Did Sherlock know?"

"No."

Greg paused, "What did she do, exactly."

Mycroft looked at him, "The specifics are not really necessary, but what is, is that you forget everything you heard tonight. If the people that Katherine seems to be involved with hear that you know... _sensitive_ information, you may not be safe."

Greg shook his head again, "Bloody hell, Kathy..." He muttered.

Mycroft silently exited the rooftop and noticed that Katherine's motorcycle was still in front of the building. He then heard an ear-ringing bang and he knew what had just happened.

Greg quickly ran beside him, he seemed to be dialling something on his phone.

"Don't call for back up, this was a classified event. If you ever mention to anyone the events of the past hour, material will be found on your computer hard drive that will certainly incarcerate you for the rest of your life."

"But she just killed someone!"

Mycroft turned to Greg, "That is her job, Detective Inspector, killing is what she _does_."

* * *

*Flashback*

"Kathy?!" Greg called, she usually get's home from school around the same time he gets home from work.

"I'm in here daddy!" she yelled from his office.

He walked into his office with trepidation, and he saw her reading murder case files. "Kathy what are you doing?!" he shouted, she was only seven!

"He didn't do it, I can tell," Katherine said calmly.

Greg furrowed his eyes at her, "Who didn't do what?"

"John Harrow, he didn't kill his wife," Katherine told him.

Greg wasn't exactly sure what to do, he was still getting used to this parenting thing. "How'd you know?" he asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"Just look at the picture of him and his wife. He loves his wife, people don't kill people they love." Katherine said, "And also, his picture with the funny sign thing," It was a mugshot, "He's really sad, I don't think a killer would be sad."

Greg looked at both of the pictures, and in both, he appeared to have a blank expression. "Darling, how can you tell he's sad?"

"Look at his eyes, his eyes are sad."

Greg looked at the picture a little closer, but he still couldn't see, so he decided it was bedtime.

The scary part was a few days later when John Harrow killed himself in his cell, and a few days after that when they found out it hadn't been him the whole time, and his seven-year-old daughter had known that by looking at his mugshot for five minutes. It's the reason he is so fond of Sherlock, he reminds him of Katherine sometimes.

* * *

Greg was sitting in a bar drinking whiskey. The events of the day were horrific to his psyche, Katherine, his daughter, was an assassin, and a government-sanctioned one at that! He shook his head, "Had a rough night?" The bartender asked him.

Greg nodded, "Turns out, I don't think I'm as good of a father as I thought I was."

"I've been there, it'll pass. Kids are like boomerangs you know? You just have to let them go and hope they catch the wind and come back." The bartender went to help another client, and an idea struck Greg.

He left some money on the counter and went outside where he hailed a cab.

"Where to?"

"Baker Street."

* * *

Authours Note: There's the reveal! What do you think? Comment/review thoughts/feelings! :)


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

* * *

Lestrade found himself going to 221B Baker Street for advice, or help, or really anything at all. When he went up to the flat, he saw that John and Sherlock were in a pile of books, literally.

"Hello Geoff, do you have any new information for us?" Sherlock asked, looking up from the book he was combing through.

"It's Greg. And no, I'm here on a bit of a personal matter, you see, it's about Katherine." Greg said.

"What's the matter, did something happen?" John asked.

"Of course something happened John! Why else would he be here?" Sherlock replied quickly before turning to Greg, "Let me guess, you found out?"

Greg's face displayed shock, "How long have you known about this?"

"Since we found her, I managed to figure it out, but how did you?" Sherlock asked.

"Well, your brother told me to come to this address, and when I got there..." Greg paused and swallowed, "She was about to kill someone."

"Interesting..." Sherlock said.

"So did you arrest her?" John asked.

"No, your brother was there, he told me to forget everything I'd heard, and then he let her kill that man. I was going to call for backup, but then he said it was classified, and that if I did _I_ would get arrested."

"Interesting... what else happened?" Sherlock asked.

"She was on the phone with someone..." Greg struggled to remember the name, "It started with an M, I'm sure." He paused again, "She was talking to someone about Mycroft, that was pretty obvious, she got really upset, threw her phone and everything."

Sherlock and John shared a glance, "And what about Mycroft, did he say anything of interest?" Sherlock asked.

"Well, more of the same really, he said he thought she was dead, then she replied, 'you hoped'. Whatever that means..." Greg shook his head. "Am I a bad parent? I mean really, what sort of upbringing did I give her that she became an assassin?"

"It wasn't you," Sherlock said quickly.

"What?" Greg asked, not quite catching it.

"It was her mother."

"Her mother?" John asked from his chair.

"She died in a house fire, Kathy was six. She still went to visit her uncle over the summer though, they seemed really close,"

"When you got her she was already too old for you to have made any lasting impact on her psyche, and besides, you're not the type," Sherlock explained.

"Hmm," Greg thought about what Sherlock had said, it did make him feel better. "But what about your brother, there's got to be some history there, she sounded like she hated him."

"Well, isn't it obvious?" John spoke, and Sherlock narrowed his eyes at him, "She hates him because he didn't find her." John explained.

"No," Sherlock said firmly.

"Yes, I thought so t-, wait what?!" Greg started, originally thinking Sherlock had agreed with John, but he was now confused.

"She doesn't even blame the people who tortured her, why would she despise Mycroft so much for just not finding her?" Sherlock prompted, "I'm missing a piece of the puzzle." Then it dawned on him, "You hoped." he said quietly.

"What?" John asked.

"Mycroft told her he thought she was dead and Katherine replied 'you hoped', that's what you said isn't it?" Sherlock asked Greg.

"Yeah, that's what happened."

"Ah." Was Sherlock's only response for a few seconds before he continued, "So she thinks that he wasn't looking."

"Was he?" John asked Sherlock, who just continued to look into the book and didn't respond, "Sherlock?" he asked again, but again, no answer.

"Sorry, Greg," John said.

Greg shook his head, "No, it's fine, you guys get back to the case."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I need some shut-eye anyways," Greg said and left.

John looked at Sherlock incredulously when as soon as Lestrade shut the door, Sherlock jumped up and watched him get into his car and drive away.

"Sherlock, what's going on?" John asked, annoyed.

"Katherine said that Mycroft hoped she was dead, but he didn't, he _was_ looking for her. So either she doesn't believe him or something else is going on." Sherlock paced the room, "This is interesting, truly interesting. Katherine Lestrade... an enigma."

John looked down, "So, what are you going to do?" he asked.

"Why do you assume I'm going to do something?" Sherlock asked.

"You have that look again."

"What look?"

"The 'I have it all figured out' look."

"Well, I do have a plan of sorts, but I'm finishing this case first." Sherlock said, "Alright, well I need some air, lets go out tonight."

"Actually, I've got a date."

"What?" Sherlock asked.

"It's where two people who like each other go out and have fun."

"That's what _I_ was suggesting."

"No it wasn't ... at least I _hope_ not." John said with a grimace

"Well, where are you taking her?" Sherlock asked impatiently.

"Er, the cinema." John said uncertainly.

"Oh, dull, boring, predictable." Sherlock said as he fished a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to John, "Why don't you try this? In London for one night only."

"Thanks, but I don't come to you for dating advice." John said snarkily.

An hour later...

John and Sarah were at the circus.

In the meantime, Sherlock had texted Katherine asking her to come over.

She showed up only ten minutes later and walked right into the flat. "What's up Sherlock?"

"I'm looking for a book that both Van Coon and Lukis own. On the 15th page, the first word you read."

"Alright." Katherine said, beginning to look through books as well.

They had been looking for about 5 minutes before Sherlock spoke, "Why Mycroft?" he asked absentmindedly, still combing through books.

"What?" Katherine asked confused.

"What is so appealing about Mycroft?"

Katherine laughed, "I wouldn't have guessed that he would have told you, but I suppose I didn't know him as well as I thought I did."

"He didn't tell me, Mycroft keeps very detailed journals." Sherlock said, his eyes shinning deviously.

"He writes about me in his diary, oh I'm flattered." Katherine said sarcastically.

"But really, why did you love him?" Sherlock asked, looking up from his work.

Katherine looked at him, "I really don't know."

She continued to look through books, and Sherlock watched her, she looked sad.

"Come on," Sherlock said suddenly, "We're going to the circus."

* * *

Authors Note: Thanks for all the support! Please keep commenting/reviewing, it's super motivating and will keep me updating faster!


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

* * *

 _"Come on," Sherlock said suddenly, "We're going to the circus."_

Sherlock hailed a cab and together he and Katherine jumped in and made their way to the Chinese circus.

"So I assume that this is case related?" Katherine asked.

"Yes, exit visas are very hard to procure, they had to have had a front, this is it. Where else can you find a person with acrobatic skills enough to climb all those buildings." Sherlock said, and Katherine nodded.

As they pulled up to the circus, John and his date were just getting their tickets.

"No, I don't think so. We only booked two." John said, confused.

"And then I phoned back and got two more for us." Sherlock said from behind him, gesturing to both himself and Katherine, "I'm Sherlock, this is Katherine." he introduced.

Sarah, John's date, looked very confused, "Er, hi." she said in response.

Katherine smiled as Sherlock dragged her away after she grabbed the tickets, leaving John and Sarah to follow.

"Sorry, I got to go to the loo, I'll be right back," Sarah said to John, allowing him to have a more private conversation with Katherine and Sherlock.

"You couldn't just let me have one night off?" John asked angrily, this was directed to Sherlock.

Katherine looked at them, sensing she was not really a part of the argument, she went upstairs and decided to wait for them to join her. She watched them set up, and simply by watching their body language and posture, she had narrowed down who could have been the climber to two people.

Not long after, Sherlock, John and Sarah joined her in standing in front of the candlelit stage.

"You said circus. This is _not_ a circus. Look at the size of this crowd. Sherlock, this is... _art_." John said to Sherlock over his shoulder.

"This is not their day job," Sherlock responded, watching Katherine walk around the room examining everyone there. He was trying to be cautious around her, after all, she had ties to the suspicious Moriarty that the cabbie had mentioned a few weeks prior, and he couldn't shake the feeling that she was very, very dangerous, even though he had no real evidence of such. However, despite all these things, he still felt like he could trust her, that he _should_ trust her.

John muttered something to Sherlock, though he didn't hear exactly what he said, he was too busy watching Katherine jerk her head to an entrance backstage before she quietly slipped backstage herself.

John and Sarah were watching the performance avidly, and when Sherlock saw that the audience was the most distracted, he followed the way Katherine had gone through earlier. He stepped lightly, but then he could see the outline of a figure in a doorway ahead. Luckily a hand grabbed Sherlock from behind and pulled him behind a clothing rack, he looked down in surprise as Katherine pulled him to the ground. She put a finger to her mouth, signalling him to be quiet. He shifts his position slightly, which tugs on one of the clothing pieces a little too much and causes the hangar to come crashing down, creating a loud noise.

Katherine glared at him and neither moved a muscle, after a moment, the woman turned and went back to where ever it was she came from in the first place. They stood and Sherlock took the time to examine the area himself, he noticed a bag that Katherine had already rooted through. Inside it was several of the spray paint canisters that had the distinctive yellow colour. He picked one up and decided he would leave a little message of his own, he started to spray paint and Katherine continued to look for any other evidence that might point to them being a smuggling ring.

All of the sudden the armour behind Sherlock came to life, as he stupidly realized that it had been occupied this whole time. It attacked him, and he obviously made some sort of startled noise because all of the sudden Katherine jumped on the man from behind and tried to put him in a chokehold, but he flipped her over his shoulder. She stumbled, but remained on her feet, Sherlock ran towards the assassin and sprayed the spray paint in his face, temporarily stunning him, so that Katherine could jump in front of Sherlock and kick the assassin in the chest.

Unfortunately, he grabbed her leg before it made contact with them, he shoved her backwards. Fortunately, Sherlock was standing behind her and managed to catch her. Unfortunately, the assassin then kicked Katherine in the stomach and it sent both Katherine and Sherlock flying out from behind the stage. The crowd started to gasp and scream as the assassin jumped out from behind the curtain, landing almost directly on Sherlock. John ran over and tackled the masked man before he could inflict any damage on Sherlock. Sarah crouched beside Katherine who was clutching her stomach in pain.

"Are you okay?" Sarah asked.

"I'm fine," Katherine said, sitting up, "I'm good," she affirmed, more to herself than Sarah. She stood, ignoring Sarah's protests, and she pulled out her trusty butterfly knife from the back pocket of her pants and ran towards the assassin who was currently attacking John. She quickly disarmed him and was holding a knife to his throat. She pulled down the collar of his shirt slightly so they could all see the tattoo. Sherlock and John exchanged worried glances, however, then Katherine did the opposite of what they thought she would do, and she let him go, he ran off to join the rest of his friends.

"Why'd you do that?!" Sherlock half asked half shouted.

"Because he was just a kid Sherlock," Katherine replied calmly.

"Um, maybe we should get out of here?" John asked worriedly.

Sherlock nodded simply, knowing that there were likely more of them nearby and that Katherine couldn't protect all four of them, so Sherlock quickly lead everyone outside and hailed a cab.

"Where to mister?" the cabbie asked him.

"221B Baker Street."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

* * *

Authors Note: I had to shift the timeline of this chapter around a smidge so it would make a bit more sense, so it doesn't exactly follow the timeline of the episode. Also, thanks so much for the continued support, I'm so sorry I haven't updated in a while, there are some huge exams coming up for me in these next few weeks, but once I'm on break there will probably be more frequent updating. Please keep commenting/reviewing, it's very motivational.

* * *

*Flashback*

"Uncle Cam?" Catherine asked her uncle.

"Yes, dear?" He responded.

"Where are we going?" She asked.

"England," He told her.

"Why?" She asked.

"Because you are going to live with your father now."

"Why can't I live with you?" She asked.

He turned to her and grabbed her shoulders, "It's important that you do as I say Catherine." She nodded, "Trust me, you'll know why one day."

* * *

As the cab pulled up outside of Baker Street, John and Sarah got out, before Sherlock shut the door, the window rolled down and Sherlock told them, "Katherine and I are going to speak with DI Dimmock." Sherlock told John and Sarah.

In the meantime, Katherine had given the driver the address of Scotland Yard, and off they went. They arrived quite promptly and Katherine gave the driver a generous tip.

They quickly made their way up to his office, Dimmock looked at Sherlock incredulously, "I sent a couple of cars. The old hall is totally deserted."

"Look, I saw the mark at the circus – that tattoo that we saw on the two bodies, the mark of the Tong." Sherlock paused and turned to Katherine, "She can testify, they tried to kill us!" Sherlock explained, annoyed that Dimmock wasn't believing them.

"And who are you exactly? You were at Van Coon's flat as well, I doubt you have the authority to be working this case." As he kept speaking Katherine's grin got wider, he was in for a surprise.

"My name's Katherine Lestrade," Katherine told him with a smile.

Dimmock stood still and stared for a moment, "My apologies ma'am." he said meekly before turning back to Sherlock, "Mr. Holmes, I've done everything you asked. Lestrade, he seems to think your advice is worth something. I gave the order for a raid, please tell me I'll have _something_ to show for it – other than a massive bill for overtime." he said, concluding their conversation.

Sherlock was very annoyed, and so was Katherine, but they both knew that there was nothing they could do to convince the man unless they had solid evidence. So they headed back to 221B Baker Street.

Once they arrived they both went upstairs, Katherine sighed, and John looked over at them, "They'll be gone by tomorrow." Katherine said quietly.

"No, they won't leave without what they came for. We need to find their hide-out; the rendezvous." He continued to stare at the papers above the fireplace, "Somewhere in this message it _must_ tell us." Sherlock reasoned.

Sarah looked around awkwardly, "Well, I think perhaps I should leave you to it." she spoke tentatively.

"Oh, no you don't have to go, you are welcome to stay," John said.

At the exact same time Sherlock spoke, "Yes, it would be better to study if you left now."

Katherine facepalmed, "No, he's just kidding, you can stay." John told Sarah.

Sarah looked around awkwardly, "Is it just me, or is anyone else starving?" she asked tentatively.

Sherlock shut his eyes and sighed deeply, Katherine smiled, amused by Sherlock.

Katherine decided to flip through some more books while Sherlock continued to stare at the wall.

While John began to desperately search the flat for some sort of food item, Sarah began to walk around the flat, looking at all the pictures.

"What are these squiggles?" Sarah asked, looking over Sherlock's shoulder.

"They're numbers. An ancient Chinese dialect." Sherlock responded impatiently.

"Oh, right! Yeah, well, of course, I should have known that."

Katherine watched the exchange with amusement, occasionally glancing at John, who was still desperately searching the kitchen for edible food.

"So these numbers, it's a cipher," Sarah stated.

"Yes," Sherlock stated dismissively, but Katherine leaned forward in her chair, noticing that Sarah had seen something Sherlock hadn't.

"And each pair of numbers is a word," Sarah said.

Sherlock froze, "How did you know that?" he asked, for once in his life confused.

"Well, two words have already been translated, here," Sarah told him, placing the picture of the symbols down on the table beside Sherlock.

He examined it closely and noticed that he had failed to realize that Soo Lin had translated part of the code. "Soo Lin at the museum, she started to translate the code for us. We didn't see it!" Sherlock exclaimed. He read out the words she had written on the paper, "Nine mill."

John and Katherine stood beside him, looking at the paper as well, Sherlock quickly spun across the room and grabbed his coat, "Come along Katherine!" he shouted behind him as he walked out the flat.

"You two have a nice night," Katherine said with a smile before following Sherlock.

Katherine jaunted down the steps of the flat to find Sherlock run right into a German couple and knocked the book from the man's hands, they Katherine watched as his breathing quickly increased and he began to literally spin in circles, she had seen a Holmes brother like his before. She walked towards Sherlock and put a hand on his shoulder and said quietly to him, "Sherlock. Look at me." He did, "Calm down, am I a giraffe?" She asked, and Sherlock looked at her with bewilderment. "Sherlock, am I a giraffe?"

Sherlock looked at Katherine and several things flitted through his head: kind, funny, friendly, liar, right-handed, been around someone with brown hair, dangerous, Katherine...

She watched as he calmed down slightly, enough to make sense of what he had unconsciously observed. "London A-Z! That's the book!'" Sherlock exclaimed, Katherine smiled, he looked down at her, as he is significantly taller. "How did you know to say that?" he asked, already partially knowing the answer.

"Happened to Mycroft all the time, by making him confirm something obvious it helped him focus," She replied, smiling slightly fondly.

Sherlock smiled too, imagining his older, more composed brother in a mad panic slightly amused him. Then Sherlock suddenly turned around and ran back in the direction of the German tourists, yelling at them. He ripped the book from the man's hands and flipping open the pages, the German man yelled, but after a few moments gave up on his book and lead his partner away from a surely crazed man.

Katherine walked up to join Sherlock and watched as he flipped through the pages rapidly, but something behind Sherlock caught her eye, and when Sherlock was done flipping Katherine said, "Be quiet and look behind you." she spoke softly.

Sherlock slowly turned and saw that there were three burly men dragging unconscious John and Sarah out from 221B, Sherlock took a step forward with the intent to confront them, but Katherine blocked his path.

"If we intervene now they have a higher risk of serious injury," Katherine said quickly before glancing back to see if anyone had noticed them, "We should follow them, see where they take them, and we can hit them by surprise." Katherine finished, she could tell that Sherlock didn't like it so she added, "The odds are stacked against us right now, and unless you want me to kill them..."

Sherlock looked uncertain, but he nodded anyway. As much as he claimed not to care, he still didn't want blood on his hands. Katherine jerked her head in the direction of her motorcycle, "Let's go."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

* * *

*Flashback*

Greg was working on a case when he got the call. "Mr. Lestrade?"

"Yes?" He answered.

"I'm sorry to inform you, but Caroline Autumn Margo has passed away," The voice on the phone said.

Lestrade swallowed, Caroline was his girlfriend when he was 18, but he hasn't seen her in six years, "Oh, uh... that's too bad." The words escaped Greg, he wasn't quite sure who this was and therefore didn't quite know how to react. He hadn't loved her, he was only 18, he didn't even know what love was yet, how could he have? "Who... who is this?"

"This is child services, we've been trying to reach you for quite some time regarding the custody arrangement of your daughter."

"My... my daughter?"

"Yes, Catherine."

"I... I don't have any children."

"Oh... well, she must not have informed you then."

"Yeah..." Greg said. He was in a daze, he had a daughter? Why had Caroline never told him? Was that why she had proposed to him all those years ago? Because she was pregnant?"

"Well, her name is Catherine Anne Lestrade. She's quite a bright girl from what I'm told, she staying with her uncle right now in Denmark, but he can't take custody of her. We were hoping that you wouldn't mind coming to Copenhagen to file the paperwork and pick her up. Of course, there will have to be a visit to your home, but her Uncle has to leave for business and cannot take her with him, so the soonest you can get here would be best."

"I... yes, yes of course! I'll get on the next flight, Copenhagen you said?"

* * *

Katherine had lead Sherlock to her motorcycle which she had parked down the street, she handed him the helmet and he looked at her quizzically.

Katherine laughed at his expression for a moment, "Mycroft might _actually_ kill me this time if I let you get your head smashed in because I was driving too fast."

Sherlock looked at her and smiled slightly before he put the helmet on his head, his curls got squished down, but other than that he felt fairly comfortable. He and Katherine hoped on her bike and she quickly raced off in the direction that the car had gone. She soon had the car in sight, Katherine was watching the driver, his body language, he was nervous, thought that someone was following them. So the next time they made a right, Katherine continued to go straight, and at the next intersection, she turned right, through the buildings Sherlock could see the car.

They began to drive through a sketchier part of London, and they saw the car stop near the entrance to an underground tunnel. Katherine stopped the motorcycle, she and Sherlock got off. They approached the entrance to the tunnel and Katherine motioned Sherlock to be quiet, he nodded, they walked deeper into the tunnel until they could hear the voices.

"A book is like a magic garden carried in your pocket," the gang leader said, presumably to John, who they could hear groan a bit. "Chinese proverb, Mr. Holmes."

At this Sherlock and Katherine looked at each other with confusion.

"I... I'm not Sherlock Holmes." John said confused.

"Forgive me if I do not take your word for it." she replied to that, Katherine could vaguely hear her rummaging through John's pockets, "Debit card, in the name of S. Holmes." she paused.

"Yeah, that's not- that's not actually mine, he lent that to me." John protested.

"A cheque for five thousand pounds made out in the name of Mr. Sherlock Holmes." She continued, "Tickets from the theatre, collected by you, in the name of Holmes."

"I realize what this looks like, but I'm not him," John said again.

Katherine pulled on Sherlock's coat and whispered, "I'm going to go around, get them surrounded. When I give the signal you need to distract them." she turned to walk away, "Oh! And don't let her shoot you." Then she scurried back down the tunnel, leaving Sherlock to wait for the supposed signal.

"If we wanted to kill you, Mr. Holmes, we would have done it by now. We just wanted to make you inquisitive. So, do you have it?" she asked John.

"Do I have what?" John asked her, still confused.

"The treasure." She responded as if it was obvious, although, to Sherlock, who was listening it was obvious, but John was not Sherlock.

"I don't know what you're talking about," John told her honestly.

In the meantime, Katherine was making her way through the back tunnels to get to the other side, and by the time she did, the ringleader had just set up the crossbow to fire at John's date, what was her name again, Samantha? No, Sarah. Right? Katherine shook her head, it didn't matter. She saw a large gong in the corner, a leftover prop she assumed, she approached it, taking care to remain completely unseen. Then, just as it seemed there was no hope for John or Sarah, Katherine punched the gong, creating a loud unexpected noise.

Sherlock had the good sense to realize that this was the signal, and revealed himself. While he was busy convincing the leader, Shan, not to shoot him, Katherine managed to sneak up behind Sarah and started to untie her, but then the same kid she had let free at the theater kicked her away and wrapped a red scarf around her neck, he pulled tightly and she coughed, trying to throw him off of her, but he was able to stay on his feet. The two of them had very similar fighting styles, so it was a close match. If it hadn't been for the arrow, it was possible that the boy might've killed her.

Katherine stood and watched as the other few members ran off into the tunnel, Sherlock glanced at them briefly and turned to Sarah, and he helped untie the rest of the ropes. Katherine cut the ropes off John using her knife, and together they stood, Sherlock, heard sirens in the distance, and realized that Katherine must have called the police while she was trying to gain access through the other side of the tunnel.

DI Dimmock pulled up with his full force, and after Sarah got sorted with the paramedics, Sherlock and Katherine were talking with Dimmock.

"No need to mention us in your report, we'll just slip off," Sherlock said.

"Mr. Holmes, -" Dimmock was cut off by both Sherlock and Katherine walking away, and Sherlock saying "I have high hopes for you, Inspector. A glittering career."

"I go where you point me," Dimmock said.

Sherlock looked over his shoulder and responded, "Exactly."

* * *

That night when Katherine got home her father was pacing back and forth the expansive kitchen, and his head whipped around to look at her when she entered the flat.

"Dimmock called me, told me about everything. Are you okay?" Greg asked her, seeing how she was rubbing her neck.

Katherine shrugged, "Don't worry about it."

There were several moments of awkward silence before Greg spoke, "Kathy? Can I ask you something?"

"Sure." She replied, getting herself a cup of tea.

"Do you... like what you did- what you do?" he asked.

She stopped dead in her tracks and turned to face him, "Don't ask questions you don't want to know the answer to." With that she left, taking her cup of tea with her. Leaving Greg to stare at where she used to be standing long after she left.

* * *

Authors Note: Thanks for all the support you guys! Please comment/review what you think! It helps me write faster! :)


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

* * *

Sebastian Moran was an ex-soldier, a sharpshooter, the top assassin in the world. Sebastian Moran did not get captured by a wannabe terrorist cell, but he was starting to wonder if there was something a little more going on here. He had been thrown into a cell with no light and had been left to sit there for a few days now, but time was beginning to lose value.

It was then he heard something from the cell across the way. It was a cough, weak and raspy, but it was a sign of another person.

"Hello? Is there someone else here?" He asked, there was a long time with no sound, but then he heard another cough, "Please, I've been here forever. I need to get out."

There was a raspy chuckle, "You've been here for _two days,_ pathetic."

"Well, how long have _you_ been here?" He asked with annoyance.

"Three. Months." She said.

Sebastian froze, _three months_? And she was still alive? "Who are you?" He asked.

"Katherine," she said.

Seb furrowed his eyebrows, "Wait... Katherine _Lestrade_? You work for Mycroft Holmes?"

"Not if I ever get out of here." She said, "And what about you, who are you?"

"Sebastian," he told her.

"Sebastian Moran? How the hell they'd get you too?" She asked him.

"I've been told I have a problem with leaping before I look," he told her. He then paused, "What about you?"

"I put my trust in the wrong people... I thought, well I suppose it doesn't really matter what I thought."

"You really thought the Iceman would save you?" Seb asked.

"The Iceman? Is that what you call him?" Katherine asked, "He's softer than you think."

"What do you mean?" Seb asked her, but there was no response. "Katherine? ...Katherine?"

* * *

"So, what are we going to do about Katherine?" John asked Sherlock.

"We're going to do something?" Sherlock asked absentmindedly. He was plucking at his violin.

"You said you had a plan," John reminded.

Sherlock abruptly put down his violin and turned to John with a strange grin, "Ah yes, the plan."

"So you do have a plan."

"Pass me my phone," Sherlock said, and John tossed it over to him.

Sherlock started texting furiously for about a minute and then stopped and set down his phone, "Clear your evening John, we've got work to do."

* * *

Mycroft's House 6:30 pm

Mycroft's phone beeped, "Help, 431 Walco Street. ~SH"

His eye's widened as he read the text from Sherlock, he quickly grabbed his suit jacket and his umbrella and ran out the door.

Katherine's Flat 6:31 pm

Katherine was curled up on her sofa reading when she received a text. "Help, 431 Walco Street. ~SH"

She internally debated whether or not she should go, but in the end, she figured she had nothing better to do, so she quickly grabbed her handgun from the coffee table and went to jump on her motorcycle.

When Katherine arrived it was raining, and she saw a figure standing outside and as she stepped off her motorcycle she realized it was Mycroft and rolled her eye's under her helmet.

Mycroft's POV

Mycroft was standing under his umbrella and turned to look at Katherine. She could tell he was surprised to see her, but she ignored him and pulled out her gun. She hadn't taken off her helmet because it was bulletproof.

"Stay behind me." She said quietly as she approached the door, gun loaded and drawn. Mycroft did as he was told and waited while Katherine opened the door.

When they stepped inside there was an empty room with a letter in the middle, Katherine quickly grabbed the letter, and Mycroft lingered in the doorway. The letter read: _You'll find what you're looking for upstairs._

"What does it-" He started but was cut off by her shushing him.

She nudged her head towards the stairs in the corner of the room and she quietly began climbing the stairs with Mycroft behind her, there was a door at the top of the stairs. Katherine undid the clip on her helmet and pulled it off, she handed it to Mycroft who grabbed it. She then pulled the pin out of her hair that was holding it in a loose bun and her hair flowed down her shoulders.

She started to pick the lock and she could tell Mycroft was getting antsy behind her, "Shut up," she muttered under her breath.

The door opened with a creak and Katherine stood and pointed her gun at the opening. She pushed the door open with her free hand and found a light switch on the wall beside her.

"Sherlock I swear if you don't come out and tell me what's going on right now I'm gonna shoot Mycroft in the leg!" Katherine called out to the seemingly empty room.

Then, from another door off to Katherine's right they could hear John saying, "No Sherlock, I _don't_ think she's bluffing!"

Then the door swung open and John jumped out, followed by Sherlock, "See John, she wasn't going to-"

Katherine pointed her gun at Mycroft and pulled the trigger, the men in the room jumped to the ground, including Mycroft, but they all looked around in surprise as Mycroft was in fact not shot.

"What the hell?!" John shouted and then turned to Sherlock, "I told you!"

"Don't mess with me Sherlock," She said angrily.

"Your gun is full of blanks?" John asked.

"No, she's gripping it too tightly for there to be no bullets, there's only one blank," Sherlock said.

"In all of my guns the first bullet is a blank, something you might want to keep in mind," Katherine said angrily, glancing at Mycroft. She grabbed her helmet from his hands and started to leave.

Mycroft sighed and shook his head, "Sherlock, I don't know exactly what you were planning here, but I think it would be in your best interests to let this subject drop."

Mycroft then left the room, leaving Sherlock and John bickering behind him, it was then that he heard Katherine's voice floating upwards from the room below. She appeared to be on the phone with someone.

"That sounds great, I could use a break," Katherine told someone on the other end. She then laughed, Mycroft thought it sounded genuine, but then again, she had always managed to fool him. "Okay, I will." There was another pause, Alright," She said, "I'll see you there, I love you too." Mycroft felt... something, and deep down he knew what it was, but some part of him couldn't bring himself to admit it.

Katherine's POV

Her phone buzzed just as she was about to storm off, and seeing how it was currently both cold and raining outside, Katherine decided to answer inside.

"Hello?" She asked.

"Hi darling, what are you up to?" Jim's smooth voice answered.

"Just playing with Sherlock, you?" She responded.

"I was thinking of taking a vacation, New York sounded nice to me. I wanted to see what you thought before telling Seb, you know how he gets," Jim explained.

"That sounds great, I could use a break."

"Excellent, do you mind telling Seb? Honestly, that man reminds me of a child sometimes and I really don't want to deal with him begging me to go see some stupid baseball game."

Katherine laughed, Seb did love his baseball, "Okay, I will."

"Thank you love, I don't know what I'd do without you, Seb'll leave tonight, you should go with him. I'll only be a few days."

"Alright." Katherine wasn't completely in love with the idea. She knew that James wanted to do something when she wasn't there, but she supposed it couldn't be that bad.

"I'm excited then, I love you."

"I'll see you there, I love you too."

* * *

Authors Note: Okay, so there are going to be flashbacks for the first little bit of each chapter from now on I think, just so you guys can learn more about Katherine as a character. Also, I know it's been a really long time since I've updated this story, but I've been thinking about where I've wanted it to go, so you'll probably see a few new chapters coming your way soon. Please comment/review! It will help we write faster and therefore update faster. Also, if you guys have suggestions about the story, please feel free to tell me, I'm always looking for inspiration! :)


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

* * *

Sebastian was getting his arm wrapped by a doctor of some sort that Jim had hired to take care of the injured soldier, and their newest charge. Katherine Lestrade was the top agent for Jim's arch enemy, Mycroft Holmes. Katherine had single-handedly disrupted more of his operations than any others combined. And here she was, at his mercy. He would finally have revenge for all the problems she'd caused him, and he could finally stick it to Mycroft.

Yet, Katherine Lestrade was not what he was expecting, not at all. She was brilliant, not really very close to Moriarty himself, but in her own way. She was fun, most fun to talk to, although he did like to play a certain game with her called 'Am I Lying or Not', where one would tell a crazy story and the other would have to guess what parts were lies.

This brought him to yet another surprising thing about her, she showed absolutely zero loyalty to Holmes or the British government in general. She fought so viscously for Mycroft that he assumed that she would be very loyal, but that was clearly not the case. He didn't blame her though. When they found her and Sebastian she was half dead, and he was honestly surprised at how it was possible that she could even be alive.

He looked on as Seb and Katherine were chatting about past missions, and he realized that maybe she could be an asset. Sebastian certainly thought so, he was unashamed in admitting that Katherine terrified him, something Jim did not take lightly.

"What did you do with all those bodies?" Sebastian asked Katherine.

"I don't know, Mycroft handled it I guess, but there was quite a mess," Katherine responded.

"I heard about that, one of my colleagues told me about it, said nothing scared him more than the thought that you might come for him," Seb said. James rolled his eyes, Sebastian was barely controlling his inner fangirl.

Katherine laughed as much as she could in her weakened state, "Well I'm not sure about that but-"

"Don't be modest, it'll only make him adore you more," Jim took the opportunity to interject in the conversation.

Katherine chuckled again, and Sebastian blushed, "I don't-" He began, but then he stopped when both Katherine and Jim gave him the exact same knowing look, "Jesus there's two of them."

* * *

Katherine went back to her flat where Greg was waiting for her.

"Hey Katherine, I wanted to talk to you about something," Greg started.

"You're moving back to your flat, I know, and it's about time too. You snore," Katherine said before grabbing a suitcase from a closet in the hall.

"What're you doing?" Greg asked with confusion.

"Oh! Right, I'm going on a holiday."

"A holiday? Where?"

"New York. Probably only for a few weeks, you'll live," Katherine said.

"Will you be back for Christmas?" Greg asked.

"That depends, are you planning on explaining all of this to your cheating wife before then?" Katherine asked.

"Oh, so you know about that then?" Greg asked and rubbed the back of his neck tiredly.

Katherine paused what she was doing for a moment and turned to Greg, "Why did you leave my mother?" She asked.

"I-what?" Greg asked.

"It was something I never knew. When I thought I was going to die I remember being disappointed that I had never known," Katherine explained, "Was it because of the drugs?"

"THe wHat?!" Greg asked loudly.

"Oh... you didn't know about that," Katherine paused, "So then what was it about?"

"Wait, wait, wait... you're telling me that you lived with your mother for the first six years of your life while she was doing drugs?" Greg asked.

"Her brother took care of me most of the time if you must know, but if you didn't know about the drugs, and you didn't know about me until I was six, then what was it?" She asked again.

Greg rubbed his neck again, "I don't know Kathy, we were just so young, and she wanted to get married, and I guess I got scared."

Katherine nodded and thought about it for a moment. "So your wife, you love her?"

"It's complicated," Greg responded.

"Is it? She's cheating on you," Katherine stated and sent her father a funny look.

Greg narrowed his eyes at her, and pointed, "Don't do that thing."

"What thing?"

"That thing where you can tell what I'm thinking!"

"I can't tell what you're thinking, but I know what you're feeling, and it isn't love," Katherine advised before walking off to her room.

* * *

221B Baker Street...

"Sherlock, what exactly was the plan there?" John asked.

"It went off perfectly," Sherlock said with a grin.

"I'm not sure I understand, you thought that trainwreck was a success?" John asked indignantly.

"Yes, think about it John, I have once again piqued Mycroft's interest in Katherine," Sherlock explained.

"You don't maybe think that his interest was already piqued when she mysteriously appeared back from the dead?" John asked, beginning to get frustrated with Sherlock's idea of matchmaking.

"No, he was interested in Moriarty, now he's interested in _her_ ," Sherlock said.

John shook his head, "I hope you're right..." He started to walk off, "I can't believe she shot him!" He muttered.

Sherlock paid no mind to John and was instead texting Katherine.

"Want to come for a case tomorrow? ~SH"

"Sorry, I'm going on a vacation. ~KL"

"Vacation? ~SH"

"Yeah, you know, the thing where you go to a different place and enjoy yourself. You should try it sometime. ~KL"

"Where are you going? ~SH"

"New York, I love it in the winter time. ~KL"

Sherlock then texted Mycroft.

"Katherine's leaving. ~SH"

There was an unusual pause on Mycroft's end.

"Where? ~MH"

"New York. ~SH"

Sherlock didn't hear from Mycroft after that, but he assumed that he was getting his people on it.

* * *

Later that night...

"Ready to go?" Seb asked from the doorway of Katherine's flat.

"Yep!" She called and quickly grabbed her suitcase. They went to the waiting car and drove off to the small airport where the plane was waiting.

They sat down opposite each other and Sebastian was staring at her, "What?" She asked.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"I'll be better once we leave England," Katherine replied.

She looked down at her phone, she had received a text, "Don't have too much fun without me. ~CAM"

Her body language and facial expression made no change as she read the message, but internally she felt sick. Magnussen had been trying to kill her since he discovered that she had switched sides from Mycroft to Moriarty. Hopefully, in New York, she would be out of his reach.

* * *

Authors Note: Please comment/review thoughts, it really helps! Hope you enjoy! :)


	18. Chapter 18

Authors Note: Big chapter here, I'm excited to hear what you have to think! Please comment/review thoughts, likes, dislikes, anything at all! Enjoy! :)

* * *

Chapter 18

* * *

"James, what happened? ~SM"

...

"Jim! Are you and Katherine alright?! ~SM"

...

"Answer me dammit! ~SM"

"I'm fine, Katherine is in surgery, I think she'll be okay. ~JM"

"What happened? ~SM"

"We were just walking home for the night when two men shot at us on the street. Katherine dealt with them, but they shot her three times. ~JM"

"And you're sure you're okay? ~SM"

...

"I'm on my way. ~SM"

Sebastian got on the first plane to Paris, where James and Katherine currently were. He quickly arrived at the hospital and made his way to where he knew Jim and Kat would be. When he pushed open the door he saw that Jim was pacing the room in front of Kat's bed

"What happened?" Seb asked.

Jim didn't respond and shook his head, he continued to pace. Sebastian watched him with a careful eye.

"I thought you said it was just a game," Seb said. Jim looked at him quizzically, "You said _she_ was a game, but she's not is she. You actually care, don't you?"

"Drop it Sebastian." Jim clenched his jaw and continued to pace, not seeing the faint smile on his only friends face.

* * *

Katherine and Sebastian arrived in New York three days ago, and Jim had just joined them that morning.

They were walking in Central Park and chatting about what they had done, "Seb and I went to the statue of liberty last night, it was a lot shorter than I would have guessed."

"Yeah, underwhelming," Seb added.

"So, what're we doing tonight?" Jim asked.

"I was thinking we should go skating at Rockafeller," Katherine said.

"Done," Jim said, "We can go now if you'd like."

"Sure," Katherine said with a smile and took his hand.

 _*Snap!* Somewhere halfway around the world Magnussen smiled._

They went to the ice rink and the three of them started to skate around. Katherine and James had black figure skates and Seb had hockey skates, which he kept falling down on. James had his arm wrapped around Katherine's waist and she was resting her head on his shoulder as they again watched Seb unsuccessfully try to get up from the icy ground.

 _*Snap!* Magnussen rubbed his chin with excitement and brushed over the grin on his lips with his thumb._

After the three of them were done skating around they went out to dinner at a Japanese restaurant.

Katherine and Jim were sitting on one side of a table, and Sebastian on the other. Jim and Kat weren't spilling anything and were using chopsticks while Seb's face was covered in teriyaki sauce and was using a fork.

"What?" Seb asked as Jim and Kat started to laugh at him.

 _*Snap!* Magnussen patiently waited as his printer spat out high-resolution copies of the happy couple._

They went back to their hotel room. On the top floor, there was Katherine and James' room which was adjoined with Seb's.

"Goodnight!" Seb called as he shut the door.

"Night!" Katherine called back as she shut hers. Katherine took off her earrings and necklace, setting them gently on the dresser in the corner of the room. Jim walked out of the bathroom, his suit jacket was hanging on a chair and his dress shirt was mostly undone.

He walked up to her and brushed her cheek, "Did you have a good time?" He asked.

 _*Snap!* Magnussen grabbed an envelope with two stamps and opened it._

"It was perfect," Katherine said, wrapping her arms around his neck. Jim put his hands on her hips and leaned into her.

 _*Snap!* Magnussen slid the photo's inside and sealed it shut._

Katherine brushed his slightly stubbly face with one hand as Jim said, "I'm glad."

"Me too." Katherine and James looked into each other's eyes for a moment before James kissed her, gently, sweetly. It was not out of passion, but rather love.

 _*Snap!* Magnussen could not suppress a chuckle as he wrote down the address, Mycroft's address._

In the morning the sunlight was pouring in, Katherine and James were still asleep. She was half laying on top of him, somewhere in-between on her back and on her side. His arms were wrapped around her, and her head was laying on his chest. James had woken up a few minutes ago, but he didn't want to move, he didn't want to wake her.

 _*Snap!* Magnussen smiled as the messenger carried away the package, his plan had finally come to fruition._

* * *

Mycroft had some of the highest levels of security in the world at his disposal, which was why when a package addressed to him suddenly appeared in his office he was concerned.

He had Anthea check in over, run it through some tests. She came back and told him there was nothing strange about it, just a package. He sent Anthea home, he himself was not really planning to leave the office that night.

He took a letter opener and carefully cut open the manila paper, he tipped it so that the contents would slide out into his awaiting hand. They were pictures, face down currently, but he could tell by the paper. Mycroft flipped them over and was surprised at what he saw.

It was Katherine... with _Moriarty_. They were holding hands, walking down what seemed to be a street in New York. Off to the side, he noted the famed assassin and sharpshooter Sebastian Moran.

He looked at the next photo, the two of them skating together, smirking at something that was happening in front of them. She was leaning into him, a natural display of endearment, and he was holding her, a natural display of comfort. Mycroft clenched his jaw.

The next photo was of them in a restaurant. They were sitting together, laughing at something, she looked happy, so did he. They were friends, more than friends. His suit matched her skirt and blouse, possibly an unconscious choice of association.

As Mycroft looked at the fourth image he had not yet pondered why someone had gone to the trouble to inform him of this... relationship, but momentarily, Mycroft didn't care. Moriarty was half dressed, and he was _touching_ her. Touching her like Mycroft used to, Katherine liked gentleness, just the lightest touch. A brush of a hand on an arm, the gentle caress of a thumb on a cheek, Moriarty knew this. How?

The next photo was of her leaning into him, or perhaps it was the other way. She had wrapped herself around him and his hands were resting on her hips. He was wearing the softest smile, so was she. Mycroft's hands started to shake, why he didn't know. Rage? possibly. Jealousy? maybe. Suddenly everything he had ever thought about Katherine came into question.

He looked at the next photo. He let it fall to the floor, and it sat there, mocking him. How long had she known Moriarty? She had probably been working for _him_ this whole time! What a fool she had made of him, he really loved her! Now every unsolved leak, every mysterious disappearance of an agent, all of it pointed to her. She played him, a mere girl had played the most powerful man in Britain. A mere girl had made the most unfeeling creature love.

He found it hard to be angry, after all, this only affirmed something he already knew. Love was dangerous, it should be avoided, it should be obliterated. Once anyone loves anything it becomes a disadvantage, a weakness to be exploited. Mycroft would not be weak, he would never make this mistake again.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

* * *

Authors Note: _**IMPORTANT! IMPORTANT! READ THIS!**_ Okay so I have made some substantial changes to the previous chapters, I would recommend that you go back and re-read all chapters before chapter 16 before you continue. **Also** , the timeline is going to begin to align with the show starting either this chapter or the next. What I mean is that the events of the Blind Banker take place in early March of 2009, and in the story currently we are just entering January 2009 but the events of the blind banker have already occurred. I will be all caught up when the events of the Great Game take place. Please comment/review it helps to motivate me to write, therefore update sooner, enjoy! :)

* * *

*Flashback*

Katherine was looking at the dead centre of a target through the scope of a gun. She held her breath and fired, the loud bang interrupted any thoughts that she might've had.

Behind her, a large man looked down the range with binoculars, "Jesus Lestrade, dead centre, again."

"Nah, it's gotta be a fluke, no way she hits dead centre five times in a row." Another man spoke from beside the first.

"Look for yourself," The first man said and passed his binoculars.

"Damn," He said, "Lieutenant-Colonel you are one-"

"Attention!" Someone cried, it was the major. Everyone quickly jumped to their feet, the two men nearly completely hiding Katherine from view because of their height. "Lieutenant-Colonel Lestrade to the front please." He spoke again.

The men parted so that Katherine could move through.

"Yes Major?" She asked.

"Lestrade, this is Mr. Holmes, one of the higher-ups," He said, putting emphasis on 'higher-ups'.

Mycroft stuck out his hand for her to shake, he was looking at her with interest.

She shook his hand and returned his inquisitive glance.

"She runs my most efficient squad sir," The Major bragged.

"Efficient how?" Mycroft asked. He was still staring at Katherine. He couldn't read her, not at all, it was beginning to frustrate him. What was even more frustrating was the knowing smirk on her face, as if she knew what she was doing to him.

"Well, they've had zero casualties, barely any injuries. She's a godsend, has a serious career ahead of her in military intelligence."

Mycroft continued to look at her before he reached into the inside pocket of his suit and pulled out a card, he handed it to her, briefly nodded, and then walked away.

Katherine looked at the card and flipped it between her fingers, there was nothing written on it.

"What's on it?" One of her friends asked her.

"I don't know," Katherine said.

She brought it closer to her eye, the paper was firm, un-glossed and rough. She ran her fingers over it and noticed she could feel little bumps, probably due to the roughness of the paper. This might've been considered random to the average person, but ever since Katherine was young, her uncle would make her communicate with him in codes as a game. That's why she immediately recognized the morse code.

It spelt out: bymayrcayfoayhtayloayemaysayb

Katherine recognized this code as well, you start by splitting your message into two letter segments. Then you reverse the segments and add ay to each segment, you then add a b at each end. Working backwards from that... ymayrcayfoayhtayloayemaysay... then ymrcfohtloems... then mycroftholmes. Mycroft Holmes. It was his name, quite simple really, Katherine had moved past this type of code years ago with her uncle.

Katherine looked at Mr. Holmes' retreating figure and handed her rifle to one of her friends, "Hold this for a moment."

She jogged towards the Major and Mycroft, the Major turned to her with confusion, "Lieutenant-Colonel?"

"Mr. Holmes, Mycroft was it?" Katherine asked.

Mycroft grinned, "Yes. And you?"

"Katherine."

* * *

Katherine arrived back in London with James and Sebastian on January 13th, well past Christmas, to Greg's slight sadness. She entered the flat alone, Seb and James were still keeping their distance, they didn't quite want Mycroft to know that they were all so chummy. Little did they know that Magnussen had already let the cat out of the bag so to speak.

She was surprised when she saw Sherlock standing in the middle of her living room.

"Sherlock?" She asked in surprise.

"What've you done to Mycroft?" Sherlock asked.

"I haven't done anything to anyone, what're you talking about?"

"He's been very... well... see for yourself." Sherlock tossed her a newspaper.

The headline read: Alimzhan Tokhtakhounov captured along with assassin network

Katherine raised an eyebrow at Sherlock, "What's this got to do with me, or Mycroft for that matter?"

"You're not seeing the big picture, he's trying to find _your_ network. He's been sending agents all over the world these past few weeks. Did you say something to him before you left?" Sherlock asked.

"No, not after you unsuccessfully faked your own kidnapping," Katherine told him.

"Well, he must've figured something out, because before this he seemed quite adamant that you might still be willing to go back."

"Well, he-" Katherine suddenly stopped talking, "Shit." Katherine quickly whipped out her phone and dialled someone's number.

Sherlock watched with confusion and also interest as she started to pace. It seemed whoever she was calling was content to make her wait.

Suddenly Katherine stopped pacing and spoke, "What did you do?"

Sherlock couldn't hear the other end, but after only a moment, Katherine hung up.

She then quickly pressed the down button on the lift, but before the doors closed she turned to Sherlock again, "You're a good man you know that? If I never see you again, watch out for my father will you?"

Sherlock furrowed his eyebrows, "Katherine what-" He stopped as the doors shut. He quickly pressed the down button and waited an agonizing minute before the doors opened again. He leaped into the lift and pressed the ground floor. He tapped his foot impatiently, and when the lift doors finally opened he sprinted through the buildings and saw that Katherine was putting on her motorcycle helmet.

Sherlock sprinted outside and called, "Katherine!" But he was too late, she was already zooming through the streets of London.

* * *

Moriarty's POV

He and Sebastian arrived at their hotel rooms, and upon entering, he noticed that there was a package sitting on his bed. He frowned, but approached it anyways, he took it and opened it. Inside there was a phone, just a regular mobile phone. James turned it on and saw that nothing was on it except for two saved voicemails.

He pressed the button and listened...

"Mycroft, where are you?" Katherine's voice asked.

"Currently in a meeting with the Prime Minister of Sweden, why?" Mycroft spoke. James tilted his head in intrigue.

"Sorry for interrupting, but there's an urgent message coming in from Sharonford, they need someone to respond."

"I'm too far now," James could hear Mycroft sigh.

"I can go if you'd like."

"No."

"No?"

"No, I don't want..." Mycroft trailed off and James' eyes widened in surprise, he sounds like he... cares.

"I know, I won't interact if that's what you're afraid of."

"It's not," Mycroft said. James clenched his jaw, so Mycroft had _feelings_ for Katherine? She knew, how could she not have known, but she hadn't told him. Why?

"I'll be fine, I'm more equipped to deal with this than anyone other than you are. Who else would you send?" She asked. There was a telling silence on Mycroft's part. It was important to note that James did know what Sharonford was, Mycroft had invited him there a few Christmases ago, he knew what those walls held. "It'll be okay, I'll be okay, I promise."

"Katherine, d-" It was clear that Katherine had then hung up the phone.

James was struggling to contain his anger, they cared for each other, nearly the opposite of what Katherine had told him. But it was unclear where these recordings were from, there was no shortage of people out there who hated Katherine, or himself for that matter. He was trying to keep that in mind, but it became difficult where Katherine was concerned. He _did_ love her, and he was jealous, but only because she loved him back. Or so he thought. The next message began...

"Katherine?" Mycroft asked.

"Hey Myc," Katherine asked, it sounded that she had just woken up.

"Sorry, did I wake you?" He asked.

"Yeah, but it's like noon here, I probably should be awake." Mycroft chuckled and James was slightly startled, he'd never heard nor seen any expression other than seriousness come out of Mycroft, and it was fairly clear that it didn't happen often, "How are the talks going?" Katherine asked him.

"Fine, going as completely predicted."

"That's good, not why you're calling then?"

"No, I have a bit of a favour to ask," Mycroft said. James was rather surprised that he was even asking instead of just telling her, she was his employee after all, but maybe not...

"What is it?" She asked.

"I need you to visit my parents."

There was a pause, "What?"

"I should've explained better, I need you to come with me and distract my parents, you know they adore you."

"Ohh... of course you're parents are adorable, you didn't even need to ask," Katherine spoke. James clenched his fist, Mycroft's parents adored her? So they were a couple then, serious enough for Mycroft to introduce her to his family.

"Good, I'll be back tomorrow."

"Too bad, I was enjoying having the bed all to myself." James froze, he didn't hear Mycroft's response or anything else for that matter. They were together.

That was when Katherine opened the door.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

* * *

Author's Note: Big chapter here folks, I hope you like it, basically there's been a lot of foreshadowing leading up to this point so I hope it really shocks some of you! Enjoy! :)

* * *

*Flashback*

James has never really felt love, the closest he had come to was his mother, but that was cut short when she died too young. Ever since then, James swore off useless emotions such as love. It's why he was so confused when he looked at Katherine, who was walking towards him in one of his button-up shirts with her hair all over the place, and not a speck of makeup on her.

He loved her, was that what he was feeling? It was hard to tell.

"James?" Katherine asked with amusement on her face, he must've missed something she had said.

"Yes, sorry,"

"I hope you're hungry because instead of halving the recipe I accidentally doubled it." She laughed, "I'm surprised I haven't burned the flat down by now, I truly am the worst cook."

"No, it's just one of your endearing qualities," James said with a smirk.

"Oh yeah, and what are my other endearing qualities?" She asked.

"I could list them all, or..." He paused and leaned across the thin table, "I could just summarize them." He kissed her cheek, "You're perfect, and... I love you."

Katherine's eye's widened, "I-I love you too." She replied.

* * *

"What's that?" Katherine asked James as she entered his room.

James looked at her and said, "Look at me and tell me something."

Katherine looked at him strangely, "Okay..."

"Tell me you didn't have feelings for Mycroft Holmes," He said.

Katherine was taken aback by the question, "I don't," she said.

"I don't believe you," James said with a heartbroken voice, he pressed play on the phone.

 _"I'll be back tomorrow," Mycroft said on the recording_

 _"Too bad, I was enjoying having the bed all to myself," Katherine responded._

Katherine started at James, "Where'd you-"

James jumped up from the bed, "Don't! Don't say another word!" He shouted. He grabbed his handgun, which was sitting on his desk and he pointed it at her. "I should have known, not to... not to fall in love with a LIAR!"

It was then that Sebastian entered the room, "What's-" He stopped dead in his tracks and analyzed the room. "What's going on?"

Katherine looked at both men, "I'm sorry." She shook her head and left.

James lowered the gun and sat back down on the bed, holding his head in his hands, "Shit."

Sebastian looked at James, then shook his head and jogged after Katherine, "Katherine wait!" He called and he entered the hall.

She stopped and turned towards him, "Seb..." She shook her head, it was obvious she was upset.

"What's going on Katherine? There's been something up with you ever since you met with Magnussen last month."

Katherine smiled sadly, "You're my only friend, I want you to know that."

"Don't."

"Don't what?" She asked.

"Don't talk like you're about to die."

"I'm not, but I may as well be."

Katherine smiled sadly once again and turned, she continued to walk down the hall.

Sebastian took a few large steps and grabbed her arm, "You're not going anywhere, and you're not going to die. I'll protect you... you're my only friend too."

Katherine shook her head, "Let me go Sebastian, you can't protect me against this." She tried to pull away, but Seb pulled her in closer to him, trapping her in his arms.

"I'll be damned if I don't try," Sebastian said.

Katherine brought her foot down hard on his, he instinctively opened his arms, enough for her to slip out. She punched him across the face, avoiding his nose and mouth, but disorienting him all the same.

"I'll be damned if I let you," She said before turning and running off.

Sebastian tried to stand, and stumbled a few steps before falling again, "Katherine!" He cried.

* * *

It was raining outside as Katherine swerved through the streets of London on her motorcycle.

She parked outside Mycroft's home and rang the bell.

He opened the door and looked surprised to see her there, "Katherine." He greeted briskly.

"Mycroft, I need your help, I-"

"How long?" He interrupted her, "How long have you been working for Moriarty?"

"I'm not."

"You're lying, Katherine, I-"

"I'm not lying, please, Myc..." Katherine was on the brink of tears, he was her last resort.

Mycroft shook his head and shut the door. Katherine's heart broke, a single tear slipped down her face, not that anyone would be able to tell with the rain.

She knew what she had to do now, there was no other option, and that was by design. She didn't have long before people started to come for her.

A few minutes later she pulled outside of a pub, she sat in the darkened corner of it and was writing quickly. They were letters. When she was finished she tucked them into her jacket so they wouldn't get wet. She dropped them off at specific locations, the hotel where Seb and James were staying, her father's flat, Mycroft's house, and finally, 221B Baker Street.

She then began the long journey to a place she knew well, and soon enough the bright lights of Appledore lit up on the horizon.

Magnussen was standing as if he had been waiting, he opened the door.

She took off her helmet and left it on the bike, she had to bite her lip to keep it from trembling as she approached him.

"Catherine, my dear," Magnussen spoke.

Katherine paused, "Uncle." He took a step forward and embraced her. Her shoulders began to shake, she was crying, though, it was hard for her to tell whether it was because she had just lost two men that she had loved, or if it was because she had returned to her manipulative and borderline insane Uncle.

"Catherine, I warned you, I _warned_ you. Men like that, they don't love, they can't," He consoled. "Come inside, Catherine, come home."

* * *

Author's Note: Boom! How's that for a twist?


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

* * *

Greg came home that night, wanting to phone Katherine, but he found a piece of mail sticking out of his box. It was strange because usually the mailman came on Mondays, and that was yesterday.

He grabbed the letter and noticed that it was Katherine's handwriting on the envelope.

Greg sat down at his kitchen table and opened the letter,

 _Dear Father,_

 _I'm sorry, I've lied to you. I've been lying to you for a long time. You didn't know this, and you probably still don't, but my mother had dangerous ties. So do I._

 _The truth is I never worked for Mycroft Holmes, I was playing a game of crosses and double crosses and it was dangerous and exciting and I loved it. Now I wish I could take it all back. If I had known the danger it would put everyone I have ever loved in I would never have done it, but it's too late for that now._

 _I find it highly unlikely that I will ever see you again, and I'm sorry I couldn't give you a proper goodbye, but I suppose this is better than last time._

 _If you are ever in trouble call this number: 4738264729, it is my most trusted friend. Do not go to the police, or to Sherlock, I've already caused the Holmes brothers enough pain. I'll be alright._

 _Please leave that woman you call a wife, you deserve so much more happiness than she can give you,_

 _Love, Katherine Lestrade._

Greg didn't know what to do, he rubbed his face, "Kathy... no..."

* * *

James was still reeling from what had occurred just a few hours ago, he regretted pointing the gun at her, but he meant what he said. And he was glad he found out, Katherine... she loved _him_ , Mycroft Holmes. He hated her for it, he hated her for lying to him, even he was surprised at how quickly his devotion to her had turned to pure rage. It might've been a sign that he didn't quite understand his emotions quite as well as he thought he did.

A letter slipped through the bottom of his door, the envelope was addressed to James.

He opened it and read...

 _James,_

 _I'm sorry, truly I am. It isn't that I didn't love you, but I always felt there was something just out of place. I don't think you know how to love people James._

 _Thank you so much for helping me, you saved me from hell and you kept me safe and away from my demons._

 _Love, Katherine_

"Sebastian!" James cried out, he may not love her, and she might not love him, but this letter was obviously trying to tell him that they would never meet again. It was something he couldn't allow. There weren't enough people like them in the world, one of the few he knew about couldn't just disappear.

When Seb didn't come quickly running in James opened the door and saw that Seb was sitting on the ground in the hall, leaning against the wall. He had no expression on his face and was staring straight ahead. What gave away his unwellness was the tremble in his hand. He was a sharpshooter, his hands did not waver, yet...

James noticed a letter next to him, he gingerly picked it up and read...

 _Dear Seb,_

 _You're the only friend I've got, I didn't want to leave without saying goodbye, but as you know, this is a dangerous profession. I wish I could be there with you and Jim, spreading mayhem over the world, but I can't. It isn't your fault, or Jim's, or even Mycroft's, it's mine._

 _I ask only two things of you, first, please keep your phone on you, charged and turned on. Second, live for me. Don't throw yourself into things before looking, remember to eat breakfast, quit smoking, find someone nice and settle down, or don't, but whatever you do I want you to enjoy it. Live for me,_

 _Love Kat._

James looked at Sebastian, he was the only man James considered a friend, he knew he had to try to console him.

"Sebastian..."

Seb shook his head, "This is your fault." His voice was filled with hate.

James nodded, he knew that Seb was going to say that, probably because it was true. Seeing a normally strong, stable man brought to this state of weakness was... strange.

"I... I'm sorry."

Seb closed his eyes and bent his head. James went back to his room and sat on the bed and did the same thing.

* * *

At 221B...

Sherlock was watching crap telly again, and John was getting sick of it.

"Sherlock I'm going for a walk," He told him as he put on his coat.

"Hmm..." He hummed absentmindedly, "Oh! Grab the mail will you?"

John looked at him quizzically, "Sherlock what mail? The man doesn't come 'till tomorrow and I just checked yesterday."

Sherlock returned the strange look, "Well there's a letter in the box."

John frowned and rolled his eyes, but as he was about to go outside, he noticed that there was a letter. "Bloody Sherlock..." John muttered, hating it when he was right.

"Well, you were-" John started, but was cut off by Sherlock jumping to his feet.

"Katherine," He spoke softly.

"What? What about Katherine?" John asked.

"The letter," Sherlock opened it, "It's from Katherine."

He read it quickly,

 _Dear Sherlock,_

 _I know you love the difficult cases, the really tricky ones that push you to your limit. So here's one for you:_

 _A teenager gets pregnant, she's clever, but she also has an older brother, as dangerous as they come. She knows that if she doesn't marry the father of her child, that her brother will take her away to raise the child himself, but the father, being only a teenager himself doesn't accept her proposal, not knowing the danger he puts her in._

 _The brother takes the mother and her unborn child back to where they were raised. He raises the child as an assassin, wanting to use her for his own gain. One day the brother has had enough of the mother's interference, so he fakes her death in a house fire. The child finally meets her father. In the meantime, her uncle gets to work. Every summer the girl would go to her uncle and he would teach her things no child should know, how to lie, how to kill, how to play people. When she turns eighteen she joins the military because that is what her uncle told her to do, she didn't know it, but he was positioning her just how he wanted._

 _About a year later, she meets a man, more brilliant and clever than her mother or her uncle, but not clever enough to read her. She fascinates him, so he hires her for top-secret government operations. All the while the girl is receiving instructions from her uncle, what neither of them counts on is the girl not being able to turn on the government man. This angers her uncle, and he sets it up so that she is captured. T_ _he government man looks and looks for her, but she's gone._

 _In the prison, the girl meets a friend who helps her escape. She stays with her new friends and convinces them to protect her from her insane uncle. Years pass and the girl returns to London. There her uncle gets back in touch with her and wants her to come back to him. She's begun to enjoy life away from his grasp and refuses, so he sends information to both her new and old friends, leaving her no place to go but to him._

 _Sherlock, I know you want to help me, but my uncle raised me so that I could hurt Mycroft. Please don't further that._

 _~Katherine_

"John..." Sherlock said quietly.

"What's-" John was about to ask, but then he read it, "Oh God..." He turned to Sherlock, "Sherlock what... what are we going to do?"

Sherlock was still staring at the letter, "There's nothing we can do, she's already gone. She wrote this last night, the paper is still a little damp from where she must have carried it through the rain last night."

John paused and paced, "Do you think it's true?"

Sherlock nodded, "What motivation would she have to lie?"

John shook his head, "Poor Greg, do you think he knows?"

"I assume she sent him a letter like this one, but I don't know how much she revealed to him."

"Well, shouldn't we tell him?" John asked.

"Maybe not, she gave us this information because she thinks we won't look for her, I doubt she told Greg enough for him to come after her."

"Are we?" John asked, "Going to look for her?"

Sherlock shook his head, "Whoever this is managed to hide her from Mycroft for years, I find it unlikely that we'd succeed."

"What about Mycroft? You think she left something for him? Maybe he'll go after her."

"I don't know, but I expect that we'll soon find out..." Sherlock said. The doorbell then rang throughout the flat.

* * *

Mycroft was coming home from a long day at the office when he saw a letter sticking out of the mail slot in his door.

He grabbed it and sat down in front of the fire...

 _Dear Mycroft,_

 _I know you must hate me right now, I know that you hate yourself for being played, but I want you to know that I hated it too. I've lied to you, and so now I want to tell you the truth._

 _Katherine Anne Lestrade is not my real name, it was what my mother called me, but it's not my name. My name is Catherine Anne Magnussen. My mother spelt my name with a K as an act of defiance to her brother, Magnussen, and she gave me my father's last name to try and protect me. I was supposed to tell him about you, I was supposed to give him information he couldn't otherwise acquire. There came a time when I didn't want to play his games anymore, and a few months later he had a terrorist cell capture me._

 _I didn't hate you because you didn't find me, I didn't hate you at all, but I had hoped... hoped that you would have figured out it was him and that you would have found me and everything was going to be alright again._

 _I'm so sorry, I never meant to hurt you. If it means anything now, I did love you, and I still do._

 _Don't come after me, Magnussen's been looking for something over you for a while, and I've just given it to him. Stay safe,_

 _Love Katherine._

Mycroft was in a little bit of shock, how could he have been so wrong. She came to him for _help_ and he turned her away, and now...

He picked up his phone and dialled a number, he waited for a few moments before it was answered.

"Ah, Mr. Holmes, I was expecting your call, maybe not so soon," Magnussen answered.

"Where's Katherine?" He asked.

Magnussen chuckled and called, "Catherine is indisposed at the moment, but I'm sure she'll love to know you called."

"What is it that you want Magnussen?" Mycroft asked, trying to get a feel for what he was dealing with.

"What makes you think I wanted anything but my beloved niece back safe and sound?"

"Seems out of character," Mycroft commented.

"Oh, and you calling me with the intention of giving me anything I want is within your character?" Magnussen laughed, "You know, I hope Catherine is alright, the Czech Republic is a dangerous place these days."

Magnussen hung up, leaving Mycroft with less than nothing.

He then sat up and slipped the letter into his jacket and went back out.

A few minutes later Mycroft was standing in Sherlock's flat, he read the letter that Katherine had sent Sherlock and hummed once he finished.

"That fills a few holes," Mycroft said.

"So you know who the uncle is?" Sherlock asked.

Mycroft nodded, "Who?" John asked.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you that," Mycroft replied.

Sherlock stood, "And why not?"

"Because I'm concerned that you'd do something... unwise with that information," Mycroft said to both of them.

John looked at him incredulously, "So you aren't going to do anything?! She loved you! She trusted you! You can't just leave her behind!"

Mycroft looked down briefly, "I called him this morning."

"Her uncle?" Sherlock asked. Mycroft nodded, "What did he say?"

"He said that he sent her on a dangerous job in the Czech Republic and that he was expecting my call," Mycroft told them, and John noticed Sherlock's face falter slightly.

"What does that mean?" John asked.

"So if you try to get to her..." Sherlock started.

"He'll put her in danger, yes." Mycroft nodded.

John sighed and sat in his chair with defeat, "What about Greg?"

Sherlock gestured to the door and said, "Ask him yourself."

Greg then burst into the flat, "Kathy, she's in trouble, she left me a letter and-" Greg stopped, noticing the sombre mood of the room, "What's going on?" He asked.

"She left us letters too," Sherlock said.

Greg sighed and sat down on the sofa, "Is there something we can do?" He asked sadly, already knowing the answer.

No one replied.

* * *

Authors Note: Hope you liked it! Please comment/review!


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

* * *

Authors Note: The Game begins! Enjoy! :)

* * *

Two months later...

Sherlock hadn't had a case in a while, it was beginning to drive him crazy. Whenever a case wasn't occupying his thoughts, they always floated back to Katherine, and it enraged him. Even Mycroft's case about Andrew West hadn't really done the job for him, it was too similar to something that Mycroft would have gotten Katherine to do, the whole time he was thinking about it he just pictured her. To say Sherlock felt guilty about what had happened was an understatement.

When Lestrade called him in about a strange case, he was excited, finally, Katherine's mysterious smile would be pushed out of his head.

"You'll love this one," Greg said, "You know the gas explosion?"

"Yes?" Sherlock asked.

"It wasn't a gas leak," Greg told him.

Sherlock grinned, "No?"

"No." Greg said, "Just made to look like one." He lead Sherlock and John into his office, "There's nothing left, except a strong box, a very strong box. This was inside it." Greg handed Sherlock the parcel.

"What is it?" John asked.

"We checked it for booby traps, it's perfectly safe," Greg told them.

"You haven't opened it?" Sherlock asked.

"It was addressed to you."

Sherlock examined the package and looked at the handwriting, his heart stopped for a moment. Katherine. It was Katherine's handwriting.

"Sherlock?" John asked.

Sherlock didn't reply, he just continued to stare...

 _"What are you looking for Sherlock?"_ _Her voice asked in his head._

"Sorry, just..." Sherlock shook his head, trying to get her voice of his thoughts. John and Lestrade shared a strange glance.

He opened the envelope and slid the pink phone into his hand, "That's- that's the phone, the pink phone!" John exclaimed.

"What? The one from a study in pink?" Greg asked.

"No, obv-" Sherlock stopped and spun towards Greg, "You read the blog?!"

 _"Obviously Sherlock,"_ _Katherine's voice spoke_.

"Shut up," Sherlock growled under his breath.

Greg and John shared another glance, Sherlock turned on the phone.

"One new message."

It was followed by five beeps, John furrowed his brow, "Is that it?" He asked.

"No," Sherlock said, then the phone buzzed and a picture appeared on the screen, "I know where this is."

A little while later...

"The door's been opened recently," Sherlock said.

"Well that can't be right, there's only one set of keys!" Mrs. Hudson exclaimed.

Sherlock ignored whatever she said next and entered the flat, there was a pair of shoes sitting right in the middle. Sherlock approached them.

"Sherlock," John started, and Sherlock turned to him, "He's a bomber remember."

 _"Or she," Katherine said._

Sherlock carefully put his hands on either side of the shoes, his face was right over them when he received a phone call on the pink phone.

"Hello?" Sherlock asked, half hoping that it would be Katherine's voice on the other side.

"He-hello sexy," A crying woman spoke, Sherlock's heart fell just a little.

" _You... care don't you?" Katherine's words from the bank came back at him._

Sherlock ignored the voice in his head, "Who's this?"

"I've... sent you... a little puzzle... just... to say... hi." There was a pause, "You have... twelve hours... to... solve my puzzle... Sherlock."

Sherlock nodded his head slightly as the call cut off.

"The curtain rises," He said.

* * *

Later that day...

John had somehow been tricked into investigating Andrew West's suicide? Murder? Hard to say at this point.

It was why he was waiting at Mycroft's office, the man in question then walked in, seeming to be in a fair bit of pain, he kept grabbing his mouth. Sherlock seemed right about the root canal.

"How can I help you, Doctor Watson?" He asked, gesturing for him to sit.

"Well... uh, Sherlock sent me to get more information about the stolen plans, the missile plans."

"Did he?" Mycroft asked, looking pleased.

"Yeah, he would've come himself, but he's... well I don't know, he's having trouble today."

"Trouble with what?" Mycroft asked.

"Well, he just keeps muttering to himself, I mean, more than usual, he's just been off," John explained.

"Any reason in particular?" Mycroft asked.

John swallowed, "Well, I don't know, he's sort of been like this ever since... Katherine." Mycroft looked down briefly and nodded slightly. Suddenly John wished he hadn't brought it up. "But anyways, Andrew West?"

"Yes," Mycroft said, the vaguely emotional look disappearing from his face. "He was twenty-seven, MI6. He was involved in the Bruce-Partington Programme in a minor capacity. Security checks A-Okay; no known terrorist affiliations or sympathies. Last seen by his fiancee at ten thirty yesterday evening." Mycroft told him.

John nodded, "He was found at Battersea, so he got on the train, and-"

"No, he had an oyster card, but it hadn't been used, and there was no ticket on the body."

"Then..."

"Then how did he end up with a bashed-in brain on the tracks at Battersea? That is the question."

John nodded, stood and shook Mycroft's hand and then left.

John was still slightly amazed that Katherine had been in love with _that_ man. Mycroft was at least 10 years her senior, he was very blunt and seemed to care less about people than Sherlock did. Yet... John couldn't deny the pure sorrow that he saw pass Mycroft's face when he mentioned Katherine, it was only for a moment, but it was definitely there.

When John got home, he found he had arrived at the same time Sherlock had an epiphany.

"Batrachotoxin," He said with a slightly haunted tone.

 _"I'm just popping up everywhere aren't I Sherlock?"_

"What's that?" John asked.

"It's what was used to poison Carl Powers," Sherlock said.

"Wait... isn't that what you said Katherine was poisoned with?" John asked, "Could this be the same person?"

"Maybe..."

 _"My uncle raised me to be an assassin, Sherlock."_

Sherlock furrowed his brows and rubbed his forehead, John frowned, "Why'd you keep doing that? Got a headache?"

"No, I'm just thinking," Sherlock said, then sighed. He stood and posted his answer on his blog.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

* * *

Sherlock had gotten his next clue, he and John were now examining the abandoned car.

"Car was hired by Ian Monkford, he told his wife he was going away on a business trip, but he never arrived," Lestrade told them.

"Get a sample sent to the lab," Sherlock said to Lestrade, who nodded and walked off.

Sherlock went up to Mrs. Monkford, "Excuse me, Mrs. Monkford?" He asked.

"Yes?" She asked, "Sorry, I've already spoken to the police," She said with confusion.

"No, we're not from the police, we're-"

"Sherlock Holmes," Sherlock interjected, "Very old friend of your husband's, we... grew up together."

"I'm sorry who?" She asked.

 _"You're not being sincere enough Sherlock, if you believe it so will they," Katherine spoke._

Sherlock summoned some tears to his eyes and put a sad, wistful smile on his face.

 _"That's better."_

"Oh, he must have done. This is ... this is horrible, isn't it?" Sherlock asked, "I mean, I just can't believe it. I only saw him the other day. Same old Ian, not a care in the world."

"My husband has been depressed for months. Who _are_ you?" She asked, beginning to get angry.

 _"You're about to lose her Sherlock."_

"Really strange that he hired a car. Why would he do that? It's a bit suspicious, isn't it?" Sherlock asked.

 _"You're looking less and less upset Sherlock," Katherine warned._

"No, it isn't! He forgot to renew the tax on the car, that's all!" She cried.

"Oh, well, that was Ian! That was Ian all over!" Sherlock said.

"No it wasn't!" She nearly shouted.

"Wasn't it? Interesting." Sherlock completely dropped his act and walked away.

 _"Needs work."_

"Shut up," Sherlock muttered.

* * *

Several Hours Later...

John, Lestrade and Sherlock were examining the car again in Scotland Yard.

"The clue's in the name," Sherlock repeated, "Janus Cars."

"The god with two faces," John said.

 _"Who else do you know who has two faces? Or did I have three? I can never remember," Katherine spoke to Sherlock._

Sherlock ignored her, "Exactly."

After explaining the case to John and Lestrade, Sherlock posted his conclusion on his blog. Almost immediately the pink phone began to ring, and the victim told them where to find him.

Sherlock and John then went out for breakfast.

"So is it him then? Moriarty?" John asked.

"Possibly," Sherlock said.

John quirked an eyebrow, "Possibly? You think it could be someone else?"

 _"My uncle is a very dangerous man."_

"I'm fielding some other theories," Sherlock said vaguely.

* * *

Sherlock had just cracked the Connie Prince case, it was fairly simple once he got into it.

"Raoul de Santos is your killer, Kenny Prince's houseboy. The second autopsy shows it wasn't tetanus that poisoned Connie Prince, it was Batrachotoxin."

"Batrachotoxin?" Lestrade asked, "Isn't that what Katherine was poisoned with?"

 _"Who did poison me Sherlock? I don't think you ever found out?" Katherine's voice taunted him._

"Yes, Raoul infused it into her botox injections," Sherlock continued to explain. He was getting better at keeping Katherine out of his head. "Among other things, Raoul was employed to give Connie her botox injections."

Lestrade looked at Sherlock with uncertainty, "Are you sure about this?"

"Yes, make the arrests."

John pulled Sherlock to the side, "Sherlock, how long have you known about this?"

"Well, this was a simple one, and the bomber seems to like the use of this particular poison so-"

"No Sherlock, I mean- the _woman_ , the old woman has been there this whole time!" John exclaimed.

"John, I knew I was right, and I knew the bomber wouldn't kill her unless we ran out of time or I got it wrong. He gave us twelve hours, it was enough time for me to get on with other things. Can't you see?! We're one up on him!" Sherlock cried.

* * *

*Flashback*

"Catherine," Magnussen began.

"Yes, uncle?" She responded lifelessly. It was easier to do the things he told her to when her emotions were mainly non-existent.

"I've received a call asking for your assistance with a game."

"A game?" Catherine asked.

"Yes, one for Sherlock Holmes," He explained, "It's being put on by Moriarty, I hope that working with him and his people won't be a problem?" He asked. He was testing her with this, and she would not disappoint.

"No, it won't," She replied robotically.

"Good."

* * *

James and Sebastian were sitting on one side of the car, and Catherine on the other. She had been completely silent and had only spoken to them when they had asked her a direct question. It was like she was a completely different person, James admired that ability, Seb was sickened by it.

They were on their way to set up the next piece of Sherlock's puzzle when Sebastian had had enough.

"Katherine, what is happening with you?" He demanded, "You're pale, you have bruises all over you, you haven't spoken a word. Where have you been?" Catherine didn't even turn to look at him and kept her gaze out the window. "Katherine... let me help you..." Nothing... but then, the slightest shake of the head. It was almost unnoticeable, but the intent was clear, _you can't help me_.

* * *

Lestrade called Sherlock, they had found a body right where Sherlock had told them to look.

Sherlock raced down to the riverside with John in tow, there was something special about this one, it was the last pip. The last puzzle. Sherlock was not disappointed.

"He's been dead for about 24 hours," John appraised, by looking at him, "Did he drown?"

Sherlock shook his head, "No, you can't see it, you aren't close enough, but he bled to death. There are very deep, very fine incisions all over his body, they look like they were caused by a-" _Butterfly knife._

 _"Funny, I have those, they match too," Katherine's voice spoke._

"By a what?" John asked. Sherlock was still in his head.

 _"Pretty good with them too."_

"By a... knife, by a knife," Sherlock said.

"You said incisions, not cuts?" Greg asked.

"No, this was precise, this was..."

 _"I kill people Sherlock, it's what I **do**."_

"...surgery." John finished his thought.

"Yes," Sherlock said.

"So who did this?"

"Lucky for you, I know the answer to that, it was one of the most dangerous assassins in the world, some would argue the _most_ dangerous," Sherlock told them.

 _"Damn right I'm the most dangerous, give me some credit Sherlock."_

"So this was a hit then?" Lestrade asked.

"Definitely," Sherlock confirmed. He then laid out how it connected to the Vermeer, "There's one more thing though, the killer, she must've been interrupted, otherwise she wouldn't have left any evidence for us to find. She ripped the badge off, meaning that he worked somewhere recognizable."

"She?" John asked with confusion.

Sherlock cursed himself, _"Watch it man! You don't want George to find out do you?"_

"They, did I say she?" Sherlock said quickly and moved on. He held up a ball of ticket stubs, "I found this in his pockets, ticket stubs. He worked in a museum or gallery. Did a quick check, the Hickman Gallery has reported one of its attendants as missing."

"Poor sod."

* * *

*Flashback*

Katherine was unbuttoning the top of the security guard's shirt, she was going to take his clothes so that Sherlock would have less to work off, but then she heard the sounds of a car coming towards her in the distance.

She heaved him partially up on the side of a bridge, and then the rest of the way. She ripped the badge off the pocket of his shirt before pushing him completely over the edge of the bridge. There was a large splash. Katherine took off the gloves she was wearing and pulled out her phone, she texted:

"Woodbridge dead, ~CAM"

"Good, I'm concerned he may have told someone, further investigation needed, ~JM"

"On it, ~CAM"


End file.
